Man Who Attacked Newborn ‘Thought She Was A Doll’

It's every mother's worst nightmare.  New mum Amy Duckers was helping her seven-year-old daughter Libby show her new baby sister to a neighbour at the local supermarket in Manchester when a stranger approached.

“Our neighbour then saw one of her work colleagues who was with her husband and said ‘aww come and have a look at this lovely baby’, and the next thing he ran over and punched Elsie Rose in the face leaving a very big fist mark shape across her forehead." Amy told the Manchester Evening News. “We were mortified, my daughter was screaming thinking he had killed the baby." said the horrified mum. “He then just apologised and said ‘sorry I thought it was a doll!”

Tiny Elsie Rose, who was only five days old at the time of the disgusting attack, was rushed to Wythenshawe Hospital by ambulance. The 6lb 12oz baby was kept in overnight to recover from the ordeal. Amy told the paper: 

“I’m absolutely broken and torn apart. I can’t believe what me and my daughter had to see last night it was just so horrific. I never ever want anyone to have to go through that again." “We all heard the punch land on my little baby. We didn’t react at first as we were just so shocked. Then I just screamed. “He could easily have killed her.”

A 63-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident and is currently being questioned. Main image: Vincent Cole/Manchester Evening News