A court has heard that a three-month-old baby lost her life amid her parents’ dysfunctional relationship, despite having previously been identified by social services.
Kaylani Kalanzi was placed under a child protection plan when she was hospitalized on July 8, 2024, after suffering from violent shaking, as reported to the jury. She sustained severe brain injuries along with fractures to her leg and ribs, ultimately passing away 15 days later.
Her parents, Herbert Kalanzi, 35, and Nazli Merthoca, 24, from East Ham in east London, both deny the charges of murder and the charges related to allowing or causing her death.
During the opening statements of their trial at the Old Bailey, prosecutor Zoe Johnson KC described the couple’s relationship as “mutually abusive,” highlighting that Ms. Merthoca had a history of drug use.
This environment rendered Kaylani vulnerable due to her parents’ failure to prioritize her safety and well-being, jurors were informed.
Johnson indicated that both parents were aware that the other “posed a genuine risk” to their daughter.
As the couple’s relationship deteriorated, Kaylani became “caught in the crossfire,” the prosecutor explained to the jury.
In the weeks leading up to Kaylani’s death, she sustained an injury to her right eye, with Ms. Merthoca attributing the blame to Mr. Kalanzi. However, her narrative changed during discussions with medical professionals, the court heard.
Mr. Kalanzi has consistently rejected responsibility for the injury, stating it was accidental.
Johnson remarked, “While the eye injury in itself was not severe, it serves as a stark illustration of the defendants’ failure to adequately care for Kaylani and their neglect in taking necessary steps to ensure her safety.”
“On July 8, 2024, the persistent danger to Kaylani tragically culminated in her death.”
That evening, both defendants were accountable for their daughter’s care, although their narratives regarding who was supervising her differ, the court was told.
Both parents deny inflicting Kaylani’s injuries at Ms. Merthoca’s grandmother’s residence in Homerton, Hackney, where the family was temporarily living.
Johnson stated, “One of them is lying. One of them is responsible for this. Yet only they know who the perpetrator is.”
The prosecutor urged jurors to focus on determining who was responsible for the act of shaking Kaylani.
The trial is ongoing.
