Two Philadelphia women have been charged with fatally beating a 2-year-old.

According to a press release from Philadelphia District Attorney's office, an unidentified female child died at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children.

Before that, the child was taken to hospital in critical condition after the police received a call on Thursday about an unresponsive female toddler.

Philadelphia's Medical Examiner's office ruled her death as a homicide.  “The child had been physically abused for several months,” District Attorney's office said in the press release.

During a press conference, the Assistant District Attorney said that the child's open wounds seemed very old.

The toddler's 32-year-old Primary caretaker Yaritza Cirilo-Fuentes and the babysitter Helen Smith, 42 have been charged with murder, conspiracy, possession of an instrument of crime, and false reporting to law enforcement. The women also face six counts of corruption of minors.

Cirilo-Fuentes is the godmother, or in this case devil mother, to the child.

District Attorney Larry Krasner said on Monday, “We can now pursue justice in this horrific case of apparent long-term abuse involving this innocent 2-year-old girl.”

 

“This pandemic has made it terribly difficult to spot signs of abuse because of the absence of contact between children and mandated reporters such as teachers and other service providers. That’s why it’s critically important that witnesses contact authorities if they suspect that child abuse is occurring,” he added.