GEORGE TOWN: A teenage girl threw out her newborn baby girl from the 13th floor of her family’s apartment unit in Bandar Baru, Air Itam here yesterday.
The normal baby girl, who died from severe head injuries, was found at 8.18am by residents, who later informed the police.
Northeast District police chief ACP Soffian Santong said the police were informed of the incident after residents stumbled upon the remains at the parking area on the fourth floor.
“When found, the baby was naked and not moving, believed to have died near the stairs to the parking lot on the fourth floor and they covered the body with a box,” he said.
Following a preliminary investigation, he said police succeeded in detecting and arresting an 18-year-old girl, believed to be the mother of the baby, who lived on the 13th floor of the apartment to assist in investigations.
Soffian said the girl, a college student, confessed to having an affair, had sexual intercourse with her boyfriend and got pregnant but kept it a secret from her family.
“The girl revealed that she had woken up at 6am with a stomachache. While in the toilet, she tried to pass motion but as she was straining, the baby came out and fell into the toilet bowl. She heard the baby’s cry,” he said. He said, in a state of panic, she wrapped the baby in a T-shirt that she was wearing and threw it out through the back room window of the unit on the 13th floor.
The police also detained the girl’s 18-year-old boyfriend at his house in Jalan Penawar, here, at around noon today.
“The body of the baby was sent to Penang Hospital for a post-mortem, while the couple will be brought to court for a remand order tomorrow (today) for further investigation,” he explained.
Soffian said the case was being investigated for murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code.
Meanwhile, a resident at the same apartment block, Ahmad Nizam Bakar, 46, said he knew about the incident after a call from his neighbour saying there was the body of a baby in a horrible condition below their units.
He then rushed down to check and found the lifeless baby with a smashed head and other severe injuries on her body.
“I got a call from a neighbour and found the baby girl was already dead when I arrived. I immediately called the security guard before contacting the police. We also covered the body with a box and I could not bring myself to look at her shattered head,” he said. — Bernama