A tragic case in which a 17 year old Muslim girl was charged with the attempted murder of her newborn baby.
The defendant hid her pregnancy from her family, then gave birth alone in the bathroom at home, bit through the umbilical cord and then poured bleach into the mouth of the baby moments afterwards. The case focused on medical evidence of the harm caused to the baby and the defendant’s mental condition in the moments immediately after giving birth. (Isleworth Crown Court).
Ben FitzGerald KC