Babysitter Helen Boodoo has denied any mishap or accident to baby Rebecca while the child was in her care at her home in March.
According to an autopsy report, baby Rebecca, six months old, died from blunt cranial trauma to the left side of the head. The autospy was performed by forensic pathologist Dr Hughvon Des Vignes at the Forensic Science Centre.
Speaking to the T&T Guardian on Monday after appearing on CNC3’s Crime Watch programme with host Ian Alleyne, baby Rebecca’s mother, Wendy Seignoret, 42, of Brazil Village, said on March 14, babysitter Helen Boodoo asked her for baby Rebecca for a few hours.
“My baby was alive and healthy when I allowed her to go spend time with the babysitter, who lives just a few houses away from by me. It was a Saturday, a day when I don’t send my baby by the babysitter but I still allowed her to take my baby,” Seignoret said.
She added that at about 7.30 pm she telephoned Boodoo to ask her to bring the baby, “When I called her to ask her why she did not bring the baby home yet she said she was sleeping. I told her no, no, I want my baby home now, to bring her now, which she did.”
Seignoret said later on that night while giving her baby a bottle of milk, Rebecca began to vomit and then gasp for breath.
Rebecca was subsequently taken to the Arima Health Facility.
“From there they rushed her to the hospital where they took her in for emergency surgery. I was questioned as to what happened to the baby but I, myself, did not know. I was told that there was blood in the brain. By that time, my baby was already brain dead and blind,” Seignoret added.
When T&T Guardian contacted Boodoo for comment, Boodoo stayed silent on the phone for a few minutes before saying, “There was nothing. Nothing happened to the baby while here. I already gave two statements to the police and that is the God’s truth.”
Pressed further as to if she was certain she didn’t have anything more to say about Rebecca, Boodoo replied, “No. Thanks for calling me.”
Seignoret said since the incident her family had not been doing at all well. “All I want is closure to this entire situation. I don’t know what happened to my baby. I want answers,” Seignoret said.
Seignoret said she had tried several times to contact investigating officer Cpl Campbell of the Arouca Homicide Bureau but he had matters to attend to in court.