Young woman charged with infanticide to stay in police custody |21 July 2021

The 27-year-old woman who was charged with infanticide on July 13, 2021 yesterday reappeared before the Magistrates Court which ordered for her to stay in remand custody for another seven days.

She will reappear before the Magistrates Court on July 27, 2021.

The suspect was arrested following investigations surrounding the discovery of a dead newborn baby at a bin site in the sub-district of Beau Belle on July 12, 2021.

It was the prosecution, represented by Ryan Louange from the Attorney General’s Office, which called for the court to further extend the remand to seven more days.

Subsequent to appeal from the suspect’s legal representative, Daniel Cesar, Magistrate Brigitte Confait yesterday further ordered that the suspect should receive psychological therapy.

Mr Cesar had noted that his requests to have his client confer with either a psychologist or counselor had been refused up to this point.

The lawyer for the defence also vehemently argued for the suspect to receive at least 15 minutes sunlight in the morning and in the afternoon during her detention at the Persévérance police station.

He stated that his client needs to be treated humanely and that the police cannot continue to lock her up in a small holding cell the way it has been doing so for the last seven days.

Magistrate Confait therefore ordered for the suspect to receive 30 minutes sunlight in the morning and another 30 minutes in the afternoon.

The magistrate also ordered that the suspect be allowed meals from family members during her detention.

Elsie Pointe