Indonesian maid jailed for killing baby

NST Online, 2009/02/18

Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, Wed.:

An Indonesian maid was jailed five years by the High Court here today for killing her newborn baby two years ago.

Unah Suma, 28, of west Java, pleaded guilty to an amended charge of killing her baby at her employer''s house in Jalan Sibu 4, Taman Wahyu, Jinjang, between 1am and 2.30am on June 27, 2007.

She was originally charged with murder, a capital offence, but changed her
plea after it was amended to one of infanticide which carries a maximum 20 years jail.

Judicial Commissioner Zainal Azman Ab Aziz ordered the sentence to run from the date of her arrest on June 7, 2007.

He said the facts showed that Unah had the baby after she was allegedly
raped by her nephew but on the day of the birth Unah could have sought the help of fellow maid Nani, who was present in the room, or her employer. -

"Although you claimed that you covered the baby''s mouth to mute its cries
from your employer, the post-mortem report showed that the baby had injuries on the neck and head besides the mouth.

"I cannot accept that you lost your perspective or were depressed that
morning. As a judge and father, I'm saddened by what you have done. You should not have vented you anger at the baby who is your flesh and blood," he said.

The court was told that Nani, who shared the room with Unah, was awakened by a baby's cries at 1am and saw Unah holding the baby with one hand and closing its mouth with another.

When Nani returned to the room several minutes later with water for her
friend, Unah told her that the baby had died and she wanted to throw its away because she had no money to bury him.

At about 7am Unah put the baby's body in a black plastic bag and threw it
into the dustbin outside the employer''s house.

Unah was detained the following day after the employer lodged a police
report. In mitigation, counsel Raftfizi Zainal Abidin said that although the medical report from Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta showed that Unah had no serious mental problem, she suffered from depression after being raped and was mentally and emotionally disturbed, causing her to lose her perspective at the time of the offence.

Deputy public prosecutor Nor Asma Ahmad said that although the prosecution
sympathised with Unah for being raped, there was no excuse for her to kill her baby.