Dead newborn found stuffed in a shoebox, suspect arrested

KUCHING: A lifeless newly born baby girl was found stuffed in a shoe box yesterday morning in a trash bin at Samajaya Apartment Jalan Usahajaya, Samajaya here.

A 36-year-old cleaner saw a red box that looked like shoe box at 10.00am and thought it contained old shoes and opened up to see fingers sticking up from the box. She quickly alerted the apartment management who then notified the police.

Sarawak Head of CID SAC Dato Dev Kumar Sree Shunmugam said acting on that information at 12.30 pm, a team from CID Kuching led by ASP Ooi Jin Bing arrested a 24-year old woman at an apartment unit at Samajaya Apartment. She is a third year diploma student from Belaga studying at a nearby college.

Investigation revealed that the baby was delivered the same morning at about 6.30 am in the bathroom of the apartment unit.

“We are initially investigating the case under section 318 of the Penal Code for concealment of birth by disposal of a dead body. If the police find evidence that the baby was still alive when she was dumped, the police will recommend that the suspect, who committed this unthinkable deed, be charged for murder.

“This is the first case of baby dumping in Sarawak reported to the police this year compared to 10 cases reported last year,” said Dev Kumar.

Police later brought the dead baby to the morgue for a post mortem.