2023-12-10 00:23:33
A troubled mother killed her 10-year-old son, who was a “very happy child”, before killing herself, an inquest concludes.
The bodies of Adalia Baptisa, 30, and her son Frederico Baptisa-Mendes, were found in a state of decomposition more than seven weeks after their deaths.
They were discovered in their council estate in the Holbeck area of Leeds in the United Kingdom in September last year, reports the Daily Mail.
Analysis of their mobile phones showed that they had last been used at the end of July.
The boy’s teachers raised the alarm when he did not return to school after the summer holidays and police investigated on September 15 last year.
When no one responded, the police forced entry with the help of a locksmith. There they found Mrs. Baptisa and Frederico dead.
A difficult diagnosis to accept
The court heard how Ms Baptisa struggled to cope with her son’s autism.
Frederico was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in 2019 and joined a primary school specializing in helping children with complex communication difficulties.
“Adalia had difficulty accepting this diagnosis,” testified Detective Inspector Suzanne Hall.
The court heard that Ms Baptisa’s computer contained evidence that she had accessed numerous websites on euthanasia and other related topics.
She searched for months for methods to end her son’s life.
“My cousin suffered from depression and autism [de Frederico]which unfortunately became too difficult for her to handle,” lamented Ms. Baptisa’s cousin, Cíntia Costa.
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