Abu Dhabi: An African domestic worker has been referred to the Criminal Court of First Instance on charges of killing her newborn, in addition to committing adultery, a statement by the Public Prosecution said.
The accused got pregnant from a relationship she had out of wedlock in her home country, before coming to the UAE in February of 2011.
On the night of the crime, the woman’s sponsor who was unaware of the pregnancy, took her to the hospital after the defendant suffered from stomach pains for the second time in a row.
Upon arriving at an Abu Dhabi hospital and before her examination, the defendant entered the washroom where she gave birth to the child, cut the umbilical cord, and wrapped it around the baby’s throat, causing it to suffocate and die.
A cleaning worker who walked into the washroom to clean it after the defendant came out, spotted the dead baby which was thrown in the garbage bin and informed the authorities.
The accused confessed to her crime stating that she committed it to prevent the shame that such a pregnancy would inflict on her family if they found out.
The court’s forensics report showed that the newborn was alive at birth and died from asphyxiation, confirming the defendant’s confession.
