A five-day-old girl was left injured in the face after she was reportedly punched in the head by a man, who said he thought the baby was a doll.
Mum, Amy Duckers, her seven-year-old daughter, Libby, and her newborn daughter, Elsie Rose were at a supermarket for their first ever outing with the baby when a man punched Elsie Rose in the head, leaving a fist mark shape across her forehead.
Ms Duckers told the Manchester Evening News that at around 6.45pm, she ran into a neighbour, who cooed over the baby before telling her friends and their partners over.
“The next thing he [being the neighbour’s friend’s husband] ran over and punched Elsie Rose in the face leaving a very big fist mark shape across her forehead,” she said.
Ms Duckers said she couldn’t help but scream and said that her older daughter, Libby was so shocked and horrified that she thought the man had just killed her baby sister.
“I’m absolutely broken and torn apart. I can’t believe what me and my daughter had to see last night it was just so horrific.
“He could easily have killed her,” she says.
Elsie was rushed to Wythenshawe Hospital where she was held overnight. Thankfully, doctors have now confirmed that the newborn is not seriously injured.
Reports say that the man the apologised, saying, “Sorry I thought it was a doll.”
After the incident, Ms Duckers said that she’s now scared to leave the house with her new daughter. “It has really put me off taking her out again,” she said.
Ms Duckers then posted about the incident on Facebook, and was thankful to the staff from UK supermarket Tesco and the onlookers who helped her. “Thank you so much to Baguley Tesco for all you did tonight, you were all amazing. Thank you so much for the way you dealt with the situation and treated us all,” she wrote.
Police have arrested a 63-year-old on suspicion of assault and is currently in custody being questioned by officers.
Source: Manchester Evening News