Woman Tries Smothering Sick Infant Son For 'Distracting Her' From Drinking Alcohol At Hospital

A woman was arrested for trying to smother her infant son for crying and distracting her from drinking alcohol at a hospital. The incident took place in Odesa, southern Ukraine, on Sunday.

Police said the unidentified 33-year-old woman was at a children's hospital as her five-month-old son needed inpatient treatment. On Sunday night, the woman secretly started drinking inside the hospital ward. In the middle of the drinking session, the boy woke up and began crying. The mother got irritated and pressed a pillow against the infant’s face in an attempt to smother him. A woman in the same ward witnessed this and immediately informed the hospital authorities following which police were called to the scene.

“The mother was drinking vodka right in the hospital ward near her five-month-old baby,” a police spokesperson said, adding that during interrogation, the woman told the officers that “she drank vodka because she was bored” and “became irritated after the baby woke up and distracted her.”

“A woman who was occupying the same ward saw the suspect's attempt to smother her son with a pillow. The witness pushed the suspect away from the crib and alarmed the hospital staff who called the police,” the police spokesperson added.

The woman was taken into custody and was charged with attempted murder of a minor. Investigation was ongoing and the woman could face a life sentence if found guilty of the crime. Meanwhile, the boy was undergoing treatment at the hospital and would be moved to an orphanage once he is discharged.