[Hector]

Priest accused of drowning six-week-old boy during a BAPTISM as family looked on

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 1:37 PM on 28th July 2010

A priest has been accused of accidentally drowning a six-week-old boy as he baptised him in Moldova.

Witnesses claimed the baby died after Father Valentin failed to cover his mouth and nose when he immersed him in water three times. Film shot by relatives shows the youngster moving after being taken out of the font, but then suffering difficulty breathing as he is dressed. Twenty minutes later, he started bleeding from his nose and mouth and died.


Immersed: The priest in a Moldovan village has been accused of drowning a baby boy as he baptised him


Parents' nightmare: The baby had problems breathing as it was dressed after the baptism. Father Valentin can be seen in the foreground

The baby died on the way to hospital and a post mortem found he had drowned, the baby's father Dumitru Gaidau told Romania's Publica TV. He added: 'We all saw it, the priest didn't put his hand over the baby's mouth to stop water going in as he should have done and as they do at every other baptism.

'We couldn't believe it that he just put his hand over his belly and over the head and submerged him three times in the water.'

Father Valentin denies being to blame for baby's death at the ceremony in the Rascani district in north-western Moldova.

The baby's godmother Aliona Vacarciuc, 32, told the Sun: 'The baby was crying as he went into the water.

'We couldn't believe it but we thought the priest must know what he's doing, but he didn't. When we got him back there was nothing that could be done anymore.'

She said that she and the other godparents had challenged the priest and asked him: 'What have you done.'

She added: 'He just told us that he knew better than we did what should have happened and that it was not his first baptism he was experienced and knew what to do.'

Doctor Sergiu Raileanu, who examined the tiny tot, confirmed that the baby had drowned.

Police said they have launched a manslaughter investigation. If found guilty, the priest faces up to three years in jail.

[Skin69]

Its so sad that we are still at a place where we think dunking someone in some water (especially a baby) really means, or does anything besides make you wet.

[Flip The Switch]

Skin69, on 29 July 2010 - 05:23 AM, said:

Its so sad that we are still at a place where we think dunking someone in some water (especially a baby) really means, or does anything besides make you wet.

Exactly.

[Coked Up Baby Boy]

Craptism.

[GoodbyeToInnocence72]

I feel bad for the baby who hasn't had his/her chance at life thanks to some asshole priest. He should be charged with murder and given a life sentence.

I'm very sympathetic because babies are pretty much helpless in these cases. Someone needs to protect them.

[spazz]

this is tragic.

i was baptized at 7 months because i had adenoids & problems in respiration.

[horn]

Poor baby.

[Mats]

I got baptised when I was 3 so I pretty much did it myself

what a crap priest, someone should drown him in pig shit

[ULIZOS]

I was baptized when I was 14 and my family wasn't even Catholic

[Lucky guy]

I Britain infants are sprinkled with water on the forehead, they don't actually dunk them in the font. What a fucking idiot.

[ULIZOS]

^ Whatever church I went to made you jump into a pool of water. It was so bizarre.

[Lucky guy]

ULIZOS, on 02 August 2010 - 07:10 PM, said:

^ Whatever church I went to made you jump into a pool of water. It was so bizarre.

I think if you are an adult or a mature child and have made the decision to get baptised, then full immersion must be a nice choice -like the full experience, you know? I know some people get baptised in lakes and stuff on the continent. However, fully dunking a baby under water, whether or not you are holding its nose, is pure fucking stupidity.

[spazz]

i think this Moldova church is traditional orthodox, they baptize male babies within 40 days of birth & females at 80 days by full dunking them three times in water it doesn't take seconds.

[Lucky guy]

spazz, on 03 August 2010 - 03:29 PM, said:

i think this Moldova church is traditional orthodox, they baptize male babies within 40 days of birth & females at 80 days by full dunking them three times in water it doesn't take seconds.

Ridiculous.

[ULIZOS]

Lucky guy, on 02 August 2010 - 04:22 PM, said:

I think if you are an adult or a mature child and have made the decision to get baptised, then full immersion must be a nice choice -like the full experience, you know? I know some people get baptised in lakes and stuff on the continent. However, fully dunking a baby under water, whether or not you are holding its nose, is pure fucking stupidity.

I forgot to mention that after you jump into the pool, the priest comes up to you, grabs you from the back of your head and starts drowning you (sorry, I don't mean to be insensitive). He dunks your head in the water repeatedly like 6 times or whatever number is symbolic.

I also forgot to mention that they do this once a year for adults/mature children during easter and there were hundreds of people there and a camera up in your face, which was projected on a big screen, for those who couldn't see.

It was so spiritual

[Lucy Goosie]

Priests used to fuck kids, now their drowning them!
What on Earth will they do next?

[except_NY]

That priest looks like that hot guy out of The Cardigans with the nice coloured eyes.