In a tragic case that shocked authorities and the public, a young girl endured severe abuse from her own mother, culminating in what officials described as the most extreme case of child abuse they had ever encountered. The devastating story concluded with the six-year-old child being killed by her mother, leaving family members and the community reeling from the horrific loss.
The heartbreaking incident occurred in November 1995 in Manhattan, New York City, resulting in the death of Elisa Izquierdo, a six-year-old girl who was affectionately referred to as her father’s ‘princess.’ Elisa succumbed to a brain haemorrhage inflicted by her mother, Awilda Lopez, following a period of continuous child abuse between 1994 and 1995.
Initially, Awilda Lopez, who was battling a crack cocaine addiction, lost custody of her older children due to her substance abuse issues. However, upon the birth of baby Elisa in 1989, full custody was granted to her father, Gustavo Izquierdo, who lovingly cared for the child, treating her like royalty and cherishing her birthdays with fondness.
Tragically, a series of events led to Elisa being returned to her mother’s custody, resulting in dire consequences as child welfare services missed several opportunities to intervene despite glaring signs of prolonged abuse inflicted by Lopez.
Elisa’s life took a tragic turn after being placed under the permanent custody of her mother and stepfather, Carlos Lopez, following a promising start where she enjoyed the protection and support of her loving father and even received educational assistance from Prince Michael of Greece.
As the abuse escalated, Elisa was withdrawn from school, and the absence of her caring father further exacerbated her emotional turmoil. Signs of physical abuse, such as bruises, difficulty walking, frequent urination, and self-harming behaviors, began to manifest, but interventions were limited.
Despite neighbors reporting distressing sounds of abuse coming from the household, welfare authorities failed to act, allowing the heinous mistreatment to persist. Elisa endured unimaginable suffering, including physical assaults, forced ingestion of feces, and sexual violations, all at the hands of her drug-addicted mother and stepfather.
The tragic end came on November 22, 1995, when Awilda Lopez contacted her sister, revealing Elisa’s critical condition. Despite the sister’s advice, Lopez did not seek medical help. Subsequently, a neighbor discovered Elisa’s lifeless body the next day, prompting emergency services to be summoned.
Following a confession from Lopez about the fatal incident, an autopsy revealed a history of severe abuse, broken bones, internal injuries, burns, and evidence of ongoing sexual assault on the young victim. The case was described as the worst instance of child abuse witnessed by a veteran New York City Police official.
Awilda Lopez pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and received a sentence of 15 years to life imprisonment. Criticism was directed at the welfare services for their failure to prevent the tragedy. Despite initially being denied parole in 2010, Lopez was granted parole on April 19, 2022, sparking outrage over the release of a mother convicted of murdering her own innocent child.