SINGAPORE: A coroner has given an open verdict in the case of a dead baby who was buried by his mother in a garden in June 2021.
Delivering his findings on Wednesday (Apr 2), State Coroner Adam Nakhoda said the cause of the baby’s death was not ascertained but added that there was no evidence of foul play.
He said that the baby’s autopsy could not determine if he was stillborn or died after being born alive.
WHAT HAPPENED
The court previously heard that the mother of the baby was 15 years old when she was impregnated by her boyfriend, who was then 14 years old.
As the parents of the baby were underaged at the time of her pregnancy, a gag order was imposed on their identities as well as the identity of the baby.
After the girl found out sometime in January 2021 that she was pregnant, the pair tried to terminate the pregnancy using methods they found online, court documents stated.
These methods included the use of abortion pills and a clothes hanger as well as the application of physical force.
Their efforts failed and the girl gave birth to a son about six months into her pregnancy in June 2021.
She kept the baby’s body for two days and then buried it in the garden of her home after her boyfriend warned her that it was risky to keep it.
They ended their relationship in March 2022.
The matter came to light after the girl’s mother noticed that she had been exceptionally quiet and asked her about this, and the girl later confessed to what had happened.
In February 2024, the father of the baby was handed 21 months of supervised probation for having sex with a minor and for instigating his girlfriend to bury their baby.
The girl was given a conditional warning for her role in the case.
