It’s murder
Case of baby dumping takes a tragic twist as cops believe the infant was alive at birth
KU CHIN G: Police have re classified Tuesday’ s babydumping incident at an apartment complex dumpster as murder after new evidence indicated the infant was alive at birth.
State CID chief Datuk Dev Kumar said the case, which had originally been classified under Section 318 of the Penal Code for concealment of birth by disposal of a dead baby, will now be probed under Section 302 of the Penal Code.
“Fresh evidence has surfaced that indicates the newborn baby girl was still alive when she was stuffed in a box and dumped at a refuse bin at Samajaya apartment (in Muara Tabuan).
In light of the new evidence, the police have reclassified the case as murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code. Datuk Dev Kumar, State CID chief
“In light of the new evidence, the police have reclassified the case as murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code,” he said in a statement issued yesterday.
Meanwhile, Magistrate Portia Th am OngL eng granted a seven- day remand against the baby’s mother, who is currently warded at Sarawak General Hospital following her arrest.
The 24-year- old woman from Belaga – a third year student at a nearby college – was picked up by CID personnel at her apartment around 12.30pm on Tuesday after a cleaner at the complex discovered the body of the newborn around 10am.
It is understood she delivered her baby in the bathroom of her unit around 6.30am that day.
Tuesday’s baby- dumping incident was the first case reported in the state this year.
A total of 10 such cases were reported to police the previous year.
KUCHING: Welfare, Women and Community Wellbeing Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah believes that the baby dumping case at Muara Tabuan here would not have happened if the third year diploma student had confided in somebody.
Describing abandonment of the baby as the worse outcome of unwanted pregnancies, Fatimah said she was pretty sure that the young mother, who is a third year diploma student, must have been terrified when giving birth and had resorted to putting her baby in a box.
“If only she had asked for help, the outcome could have been so different. It’s unfortunate for the final year diploma student whose future is at stake. It’s also unfortunate that her partner is nowhere to be seen, and she has to go through this tragic episode in her life alone,” she said.
Fatimah was commenting on the arrest of a third year diploma student on Tuesday after the body of a newborn girl was found at a dumpster of a flat complex in Muara Tabuan here.
The 24-year- old woman from Belaga was picked up by CID personnel some two hours after a
If only she asked for help, the outcome could have been so different. It is tragic and very unfortunate for the final year diploma student. Her future is at stake. It is also very tragic and unfortunate that her partner is nowhere to be seen and she has to go through this tragic episode in her life alone. Datuk Fatimah Abdullah, Welfare, Women and Community Wellbeing Minister
cleaner, disposing of refuse at the complex in Samajaya Industrial Zone, stumbled upon the baby’s body stuffed inside a cardboard box.
Fatimah said the outcome could have been different if the baby had been left in a baby hatch, such as the KPJ Baby Hatch at Kuching Specialist Hospital set up on Jan 20.
“On our part, we have established the One Stop Teenage Pregnancy Centre ( OSTPC) in 2014 to provide holistic interagency assistance to pregnant teenagers/young mothers. OSTPC was established with the aim to reduce teenage pregnancies and baby dumping.”
Fatimah said Sarawak topped the states in the country for number of teenage pregnancies, but the number in the state declined by 14 per cent last year via programmes implemented by the government.
“Baby dumping cases also showed a decline in 2016 with only 10 cases. The one that happened on Tuesday was the first this year.”
PKR women national vicepresident Voon Shiak Ni said the baby dumping case was disheartening.
“We do not support this unthinkable act. However, all of us know that baby dumping and teenage pregnancies are getting more serious nationwide, and Sarawak recorded the highest number of teenage pregnancies in the country.”
According to statistics, an average of 100 babies were dumped nationwide every year, out of which more than 50 per cent were found dead.
“So, what are we going to do about it? We cannot go on talking and criticising when a crime has been committed and a baby’s life lost,” Voon pointed out.
She said the KPJ Baby Hatch was set up just behind Kuching Specialist Hospital.
“We asked the KPJ staff about it and they told us it is for the public to put babies there, and for the hospital to check on the hatch every day. So far, no babies have been put there.”
She said this is a good way to let girls have a place to leave their babies in good hands, rather than dump them in the drain, bushes or rubbish bin.
Voon believed awareness campaigns on teenage pregnancies are crucial with prevention better than cure, and a need to publicise the existence of the baby hatch.
“I support the call from many quarters of society to criminalise the act of baby dumping and bring the mother of the baby and the perpetrator to justice to deter the crime.”
“Baby dumping is a cruel act, basically murdering your own child (if the baby dies). Don’t not dump your baby and commit a crime and a sin. Seek help so it has a chance to live.”
Voon urged the women’s ministry to step up awareness campaigns on how and where to seek help if one has an unplanned pregnancy, and is not ready for a child.