Infanticide: Witnesses to be heard on Sept 29

Manama

Prosecution witnesses will be heard on September 29 in the trial of four accused in connection with killing a newborn baby following a failed abortion.

The main accused in this case is a BDF officer, who is being tried separately at a military court. He will, however, take the stand of the High Criminal Court on the trial date to testify in the case.

The 21-year-old officer reportedly killed his 8-month-old child, born from his sexual relationship with his teenage girlfriend. The latter, 18, is standing trial in the High Criminal Court, alongside a Saudi woman and two Bahraini men, all of whom are accused of attempting to abort the child.

The mother had earlier told prosecutors she was forced to have an abortion in January due to pressure from her lover's mother.

She went to the 46-year-old Saudi woman, mother of one of her friends, and requested her to dispose the fetus in return of BD300.

"I gave her a warm Pepsi and vinegar after she made a pledge of confidentiality. However, it wasn't a success and she was left in excruciating pain," the 46-year-old woman said.

The mother was reportedly accompanied by her boyfriend and the third accused, aged 19, when she went to the Saudi woman's house.  They were reportedly with her when she finally delivered the child in a toilet in a Juffair apartment.

It's said the officer dropped the baby on the floor, but the child survived the fall. The mother told prosecutors the baby died a few hours later - and her boyfriend and his friends told her they had buried the body near the Tree of Life.

 Authorities discovered the dead infant's corpse after the mother called police anonymously to inform them about its location.