Autistic boy, 10, killed by mum before she took own life ‘was always smiling’ | UK News
A 10-year-old autistic boy killed by his mum before she took her own life was a ‘very cheerful child’ who was ‘always smiling’, an inquest into their deaths was told.
The bodies of Adalia Baptisa, 30, and her son Frederico Baptisa-Mendes were found decomposing in their council flat in the Holbeck area of Leeds in September last year.
Frederico’s school raised the alarm with police after he failed to return to class after the summer break despite a 100% attendance record the previous year.
Analysis of their phones showed they were last used in late July, with the inquest hearing this was probably the time at which they died.
In a statement, taxi driver Muneer Hussain, who took Frederico to Richmond Hill Primary School every day, described growing concerned about getting no reply form the flat in early September.
Mr Hussain said he knew the youngster as Freddie and said: ‘He was a very cheerful child and was always ready to go.’
He said he ‘was always smiling’, loved ‘wearing hats’ and Super Mario.
![A woman and her 10-year-old son have been found dead at their home in Leeds. Cops were called to a house on Cross Ingram Road, Holbeck, by concerned neighbours at 9pm yesterday [Sept 15]. Caption: Police cordon at a house Cross Ingram Road in Holbeck, Leeds, where a woman and her 10-year-old son were found dead on 15 September 2022](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/SEI_125692616-636a.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&zoom=1&resize=540%2C405)
Coroner Oliver Longstaff heard how Ms Baptisa and Frederico were Portuguese, although she was born in Angola, and they came to the UK about 10 years before their deaths.
Frederico was diagnosed with autism in 2019 and joined Richmond Hill Primary, which specialises in helping children with complex communication difficulties, the same year.
Detective Inspector Suzanne Hall said in a statement read to the court: ‘Adalia struggled to come to terms with that diagnosis.’
The court heard how there was evidence from Ms Baptisa’s computer that she had accessed numerous websites about euthanasia and related topics.
Her father, who lives in Portugal, said in a statement that his daughter ‘appeared to be stressed’ and had been looking at ‘dangerous’ websites.
Ms Hall said in her statement: ‘I’m satisfied there was no third party involvement in the deaths.’
She said it appeared Ms Baptisa’s actions ‘had been planned for a while’ and that ‘Frederico was killed by his mother’.
The coroner recorded conclusions that Frederico was unlawfully killed and Ms Baptisa died as a result of suicide.
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