An 11-year-old girl from the southwestern Colombian city of Cali nearly died after her father fed her 104 capsules filled with drugs before traveling abroad, local media reported Tuesday.
The girl was brought to the emergency room of a hospital in Cali by her mother and was in a critical state.
The minor showed symptoms of severe poisoning and, following an x-ray examination, the primary care physicians decided a surgical intervention was necessary.
In x-ray images the doctors recognized capsules with an unknown substance in the patient’s stomach. It is presumed that due to a rupture in one of the containers, the poisonous content began leaking into her organism.
“The life of the minor was in serious danger, and the surgery had to be performed immediately. A total of 104 capsules were removed from the victim’s stomach. The substance is being analyzed by the police and the prosecutor’s office. Everything suggests it is cocaine,” said General Hoover Pinilla of the local Police.
The mother of the girl was instantly detained and the police launched criminal investigation into what seems like a child abuse case.
According to the initial hypothesis by the authorities, it was the father of the minor who forced her to ingest the packages of drug with intention of sending her to Europe as the so-called drug mule.
“The mother of the victim told the police that her daughter had been with her father, who doesn’t live with the family, from around 12 PM to 6 PM on Monday. Later that evening, the girl started experiencing pain in her stomach and was subsequently taken to the hospital,” explained Pinilla.
“We’re looking at a perverse case of child abuse by adults,” added the police commander.
During an inspection at the house of the minor, the Colombian Institute for Family Welfare found passports and various plane tickets hinting at the possibility of a failed drug-trafficking attempt.
“This case is an abomination, as it jeopardized the life of an 11-year-old child. That is why we will take all necessary measures to provide protection to the minor and take her away from the harmful environment” said Jhon Arley Murillo of the Institute.
In the public statement. the social worker urged the society to monitor and denounce similar instances of violation of children’s rights.
After the medical intervention, the girl stayed in the hospital on Tuesday. Her condition is stable, but she remains at an intensive care unit with “guarded prognosis.”