A man was arrested on a charge of assault after allegedly punching a newborn girl in the face because he thought she was a doll, according to police in the United Kingdom.
Manchester police said that they have arrested the 63-year-old man, who was not identified, after being accused of attacking the 5-day-old girl at a supermarket.
In court, the suspect pleaded not guilty to one count of assault.
According to the police investigation, Amy Duckers was shopping at Tesco located on Altrincham Road, with her 5-day-old baby Elsie Rose Temple.
Duckers and her husband, 24-year-old Lewis Temple, saw a friend on Monday around 6:45 p.m., and decided to show off their baby.
As she held Temple in her arm, the suspect ran over and punched the baby on the face. 7-year-old Libby witnessed the attack on her sister, and she believed that the man killed Elsie Rose.
The suspect then apologized and said he thought Elsie Rose was a doll. The baby, who weighs just 6 pounds, was taken to the Wythenshawe Hospital, where she was treated and released.
Luckily, Elsie Rose did not suffer any serious injuries.