SINGAPORE: A 15-year-old girl who was impregnated by her boyfriend, 14, gave birth to a boy in her bedroom alone and later buried her baby in her garden.
The baby was born in June 2021, but his remains were uncovered only almost a year later in April 2022 after the girl admitted what she had done.
On Dec 23, a coroner’s inquiry opened into the death of the newborn, with the investigation officer of the case noting that this was the first such case he had seen in his 33 years with the Singapore Police Force.
Inspector Thanabalan Kothandapani, the only witness called to stand, told State Coroner Adam Nakhoda that the police was alerted to a case of underage sex that resulted in pregnancy.
In February, the father of the baby was handed 21 months of supervised probation for having sex with a minor and instigating his girlfriend to bury their stillborn child. The girl was given a conditional warning for her role in the case.
In view of the ages of the parents when the pregnancy took place, State Coroner Nakhoda imposed a gag order on their identities and that of the infant.
Insp Thanabalan said the police were made aware of the case in April 2022, when the baby’s mother and maternal grandfather lodged a report at the Central Police Division.
The court previously heard that the teenagers were classmates in secondary school and began a romantic relationship in May 2020.
The boy would have sex with his girlfriend in his bedroom without using condoms as he found it difficult to buy them because of his age.
In January 2021, after the girl found out she was pregnant, the couple made multiple attempts to abort the foetus on their own.
Their methods included inserting a clothes hanger into the girl’s body in an attempt to pull the foetus out, taking abortion pills, and having her abdomen punched and kneed by the boy.
In June 2021, the girl experienced labour pains and gave birth to their stillborn son alone in her bedroom, with her boyfriend on video call.
The girl wrapped the body in newspaper and hid it in her cabinet, but her boyfriend told her that it was inappropriate and risky to keep it in the house.
Two days later, she buried the body in the garden of her home and would sit there to grieve from time to time.
The couple ended their relationship in March 2022.
A month later, the girl’s mother noticed that she was exceptionally withdrawn and asked if anything was wrong. She told her mother what had happened, and the police were alerted.
When the coroner asked about the state of the baby at birth, Insp Thanabalan said that according to the girl, the baby was not moving or crying when he was born.
The baby’s father, who was on a video call with his girlfriend when she was giving birth, also confirmed this, said the officer.
On how the baby was buried, State Coroner Nakhoda referred to a photo of a spade in the report and asked Insp Thanabalan if the teenager had used it to dig up the soil in the garden before burying the newborn.
Insp Thanabalan confirmed this, adding that the baby’s remains were found wrapped in a cloth. Some soil samples were taken, and the remains were sent to the mortuary in an evidence bag, he added.
The coroner adjourned the hearing and said he will provide his findings at a later date. - The Straits Times/ANN
