Abu Dhabi: An African domestic worker who disposed of her newborn baby by throwing her into a garbage chute from the seventh floor of a building in the Khalidiya region in Abu Dhabi is being investigated by the Abu Dhabi Police.
The Ethiopean housemaid wrapped the infant in a piece of cloth and put her in a plastic bag, according to a statement.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the baby girl was born full-term late last Saturday, Colonel Dr Rashid Mohammad Borshid, Head of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), said. The mother claimed that her baby was stillborn; she also admitted to becoming pregnant after an adulterous relationship that took place in her home country,.
“The CID is currently expanding the investigation to determine whether the newborn was still alive when discarded; investigations will also examine whether the baby’s fall from such a height is the cause of [her] death. Additionally, the investigation will reveal the circumstances leading to this incident,” added Colonel Borshid.
“The mother thought that disposing of her daughter after firmly sealing the infant in a plastic bag would hide her secret forever. She was surprised that the police discovered her secret within hours, thanks to the efforts of the investigative team trained to deal with such situations,” he added.
The official noted that the preliminary examination indicated the existence of a crime. “An investigation was carried out and criminal information was collected based on the specifications of the deceased newborn, which allowed the team to identify suspects or anyone involved in the crime,” he explained.
Colonel Borshid said that the circumstances and facts discovered during the initial investigations were linked, resulting in the identification of the domestic worker, L.A.S, 26. She was working illegally for a Canadian family in the building where the crime occurred. “The family will also be held accountable under the law for employing a worker on someone else’s employment visa,” said Col Borshid.
Colonel Borshid added that the housemaid confessed that she gave birth in her room without assistance or the family’s knowledge, after she felt labour pains. “The housemaid claimed that her newborn baby was born dead and not breathing. She cut the placenta herself, cleaned the remnants of the birth, and then wrapped her in a piece of cloth and put her in a plastic bag and dumped her in the garbage chute on the seventh floor. She then returned to work as if nothing happened,” he added.
He reiterated his condemnation of this hideous crime, considering it an affront to the dignity and inviolability of the human body and human feelings. It violates religious and social values, he said.
