By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, March 26: The Sessions Court here today handed down an 11-month prison sentence to an Indonesian woman for concealing the birth of her baby last November.
Judge Saiful Bahari Adzmi imposed the sentence on Jamilah Amin, 23, after she pleaded guilty to the alternative charge under Section 318 of the Penal Code.
Section 318 of the Penal Code provides for a prison sentence of up to two years or a fine or both if convicted.
Jamilah from Entikong, Indonesia, was charged with concealing the birth of her newborn baby girl by disposing of her body in a garbage dump behind a restaurant in MJC, Batu Kawah, here at around 9.50pm on Nov 22, 2023.
Earlier on Dec 6, 2023, Jamilah was charged under Section 309B of the Penal Code for disposing of a baby; however, she was ordered to undergo mental observation.
During the proceedings, Jamilah’s lawyer, Ralph Lee, presented a psychiatric report stating that she was diagnosed with major depressive disorder and was undergoing treatment.
Lee also presented a statement from the Dayak Customary Council of Entikong stating that Jamilah suffered from mental illness due to genetic factors, citing that in 1977, Jamilah’s grandmother also killed her own child due to mental illness.
Based on the facts of the case, the police received a call from the public reporting the discovery of a newborn’s body at a garbage disposal site behind a restaurant in MJC, Batu Kawah.
Police rushed to the location and found the body of a newborn in a black plastic bag with kitchen waste and garbage.
Upon examining the scene, the police found an empty package with the name of a man. Further investigation revealed that he was Jamilah’s boyfriend.
Jamilah was subsequently sent for expert examination which confirmed that she showed signs of having just given birth.
Investigations revealed that Jamilah had just given birth to the baby, then strangled the baby using a rubber band and a towel on Nov 22, 2023, around 8.30 pm.
The baby’s body was then sent for an autopsy and forensic experts confirmed that the cause of death was strangulation.
Jamilah acted in such a way to conceal the birth of the baby from being known by others.
The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohammad Fauzan Zamri. — DayakDaily
