Case of baby dumping takes a tragic twist as cops believe the infant was alive at birth
KUCHING: Police have reclassified Tuesday’s baby-dumping 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,” he said in a statement issued yesterday.
Meanwhile, Magistrate Portia Tham Ong Leng 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.