A WOMAN accused of killing her newborn baby girl at Gela, Central Islands Province, last December is likely to plea to the allegation on January 26.
The 38-year-old mother faces one count of infanticide.
She appeared in the Honiara Magistrate’s Court yesterday and her matter was further adjourned for possible plea and for a committal hearing.
Principal Magistrate, Felix Hollison, had ordered prosecution to serve disclosures to her lawyer before the next court date.
The defendant is a married woman and she and her husband have four children together.
The deceased baby is the defendant’s fifth child.
The alleged incident occurred on 20 December 2022 at a village in Gela.
The prosecution alleged that about 3pm on that day, the defendant checked on her neighbours in their houses but no one was there.
She allegedly walked behind their kitchen and after two hours of struggling by herself managed to give birth to a live baby girl.
The defendant then allegedly suffocated the baby until she died.
It was alleged she killed the baby, thinking the baby might not belong to her husband.
That same day, the defendant hid the baby from her neighbours and threw her into the sea.
The baby’s body was washed ashore and discovered on the following day by a villager, who then reported the matter to the Police.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
Solomon Star, Honiara
