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Secondary six girl admits infanticide after leaving newborn next to rubbish bin
A secondary six girl who delivered a baby in a school toilet, stuffed the baby’s mouth with her PE uniform and left behind the baby next to a rubbish bin three years ago, pleaded guilty to infanticide in the High Court on Thursday, as the judge described the case as a tragedy.
The girl, identified as “T.Y.M.” in the court, appeared before Judge Susana D'Almada Remedios this morning. She pleaded not guilty to murder but admitted to infanticide for causing the death of her unnamed baby girl under the age of 12 months in Tin Shui Wai on September 22, 2020.
In mitigation, the defense said TYM was from a broken family and lacked parents’ love, caring, and guidance. TYM was in extreme fear and pain when she accidentally delivered the baby, and the details were shocking and heartbreaking.
The defense added TYM had little memories of the incident. She didn’t think about it and didn’t know why she killed the baby and abandoned the body at the time.
The father wrote in the mitigation letter that he regretted what happened and believed he should be held accountable and jailed instead of TYM. He added he and TYM stopped seeing each other after they broke up, and he had no idea she was pregnant.
Judge Remedios said this case was a tragedy and believed TYM was facing exceedingly difficult circumstances at the time. She adjourned the case to May 25 for sentencing, pending a probation report.
The court heard that TYM was attending a PE lesson that day but felt unwell and went to the medical room. She later went into a toilet booth, as she experienced immense pain and heard a loud bang. She then found she was bleeding profusely, and a baby had fallen onto the toilet seat.
To prevent the baby’s crying from being heard, TYM used a part of her PE uniform to gag the baby’s mouth. TYM also wrapped the baby’s body with a towel and placed the baby inside a blue plastic bag, which she left in a student common room.
TYM then left school early, and on her way home, she was spotted by a female pedestrian forcing the blue plastic bag into a rubbish bin but failed. The blue plastic bag was later left on the side of the bin. Another male pedestrian approached the bag early the following day and opened it with his stick, only to find the baby’s body. He immediately filed a police report.
As paramedics arrived, they found the baby’s limbs were stiff and cold, and she had stopped breathing. Her buttocks were bruised, and there was an indentation to the skull. There were ants crawling over the body as well. An autopsy ruled that the baby died of suffocation.
A psychiatrist summoned by the defense said TYM suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Yet, another psychiatrist summoned by the prosecution disagreed and said TYM was depressed and felt guilty. The psychiatrist added TYM’s mind was significantly disturbed by the acute mental and physical stress and exhaustion caused by the unexpected delivery.
In mitigation, the defense said TYM was from a broken family and lacked parents’ love, caring, and guidance. TYM was in extreme fear and pain when she accidentally delivered the baby, and the details were shocking and heartbreaking.
The defense added TYM had little memories of the incident. She didn’t think about it and didn’t know why she killed the baby and abandoned the body at the time.
The father wrote in the mitigation letter that he regretted what happened and believed he should be held accountable and jailed instead of TYM. He added he and TYM stopped seeing each other after they broke up, and he had no idea she was pregnant.
Judge Remedios said this case was a tragedy and believed TYM was facing exceedingly difficult circumstances at the time. She adjourned the case to May 25 for sentencing, pending a probation report.
The court heard that TYM was attending a PE lesson that day but felt unwell and went to the medical room. She later went into a toilet booth, as she experienced immense pain and heard a loud bang. She then found she was bleeding profusely, and a baby had fallen onto the toilet seat.
To prevent the baby’s crying from being heard, TYM used a part of her PE uniform to gag the baby’s mouth. TYM also wrapped the baby’s body with a towel and placed the baby inside a blue plastic bag, which she left in a student common room.
TYM then left school early, and on her way home, she was spotted by a female pedestrian forcing the blue plastic bag into a rubbish bin but failed. The blue plastic bag was later left on the side of the bin. Another male pedestrian approached the bag early the following day and opened it with his stick, only to find the baby’s body. He immediately filed a police report.
As paramedics arrived, they found the baby’s limbs were stiff and cold, and she had stopped breathing. Her buttocks were bruised, and there was an indentation to the skull. There were ants crawling over the body as well. An autopsy ruled that the baby died of suffocation.
A psychiatrist summoned by the defense said TYM suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Yet, another psychiatrist summoned by the prosecution disagreed and said TYM was depressed and felt guilty. The psychiatrist added TYM’s mind was significantly disturbed by the acute mental and physical stress and exhaustion caused by the unexpected delivery.
