Two years jail for daughter's death

Oliver Xavier of Bath Estate can consider himself lucky after receiving only a two year jail sentence for the death of his nine-year-old daughter in September 2004.


Xavier, who was initially charged with murder, had his charge reduced to manslaughter to which he pleaded guilty.
Xavier told the police that he got angry when he saw his daughter in a compromising position with a young man under a pear tree near his house. This prompted him to beat her. While stating that he had not killed his daughter, Xavier said he had beaten her with a brown belt which he gave to police. “Officer, I did not kill the child,” he said. But after further questioning, he stated, “Okay officer, I will tell you the truth, I beat the child with a piece of electric wire…I beat her real bad; I was vex.” The police searched Xavier’s home where they found pieces of a broom stick. When questioned about the broken broomstick he stated, “Officer that is the broom stick I used to beat the child. The pieces of the broomstick were fitted together and measured four feet in length.
Government pathologists Dr. Juan Cruz performed the autopsy and among his findings were severe abrasions and contusions in the face, shoulders, legs, arms and other parts of her body with a fracture to the right forearm bone leading to the elbow. He also observed injuries to the head. Laceration of the hymen was also observed.
“Cause of death was asphyxia due to aspiration of gastric contents in battered children,” Dr. Cruz wrote.