Court has held the first hearing for the couple charged with murder for burying their child soon after giving birth, where the mother today accepted certain accusations and the father denied all charges set against him.
State charged 21 year old Aminath Shaahee Aalam of Shamrock, Seenu Maradhoo-Feydhoo, and her husband, 26 year old Ibrahim Wisam of Finifenmaage, Seenu Maradhoo-Feydhoo with the willful murder of a child, accusing them of burying their child soon after giving birth.
Following the announcement of the charges to the court, the child’s mother Shaahee Aalam said that she had already stated the sequence of events in her statement for the investigation.
State then read Shaahee’s statement to the court, which stated that she had not sought any treatment or medical attention from the time of her conception till the time of giving birth and that she had taken medication with the intention of aborting the child, which was done after discussing with her husband, with his consent.
When questioned by the judge in however, Shaahee told the court that she had not used medication with the intention of inducing an abortion and that the medicines she took were given to her by a foreign doctor who works in Seenu Hithadhoo Dhilshaadhu Clinic, with whom she is friends. She said that she does not know the brand of the medication.
In her statement, Shaahee goes on to describe her experience of giving birth, where she details that upon feeling contraction, she had run from her bedroom and woken up her husband, told him of her pains, where upon her husband had removed his t-shit, onto which she had given birth.
When asked about the details in her statement, Shaahee told the court that she was aware that something had dropped into the t-shit, but was not aware of its exact nature. She said that she later saw her that he husband had put “that thing that dropped” into a bag, but repeated that she could not say as to its exact nature.
Replying the judge’s questions, Shaahee said that she took no part in killing the baby. She requested that the state appoint an attorney on her behalf.
When asked to answer for his allegation, the child’s father and Shaahee’s husband Ibrahim Wisam told the court that he fully understood the charges against him and that he denies all charges. He said that he is not able to state his reasons for denying the charges at that point in time and requested the court to allow him a 15 day period of appoint his own lawyer.
The child was given birth to and buried to dispose during the night of 14th December 2012.
Concluding today’s hearing, the Criminal Court judge who presided over the hearing, Judge Abdulla Didi allowed both of the accused time to appoint lawyers.
State has accused Shaahee of neglecting to take her child to the doctor within one week of giving birth, after giving birth while in wedlock, on the 12th of December 2012. State also accuses her of using abortion medication during her pregnancy. The accusation states that she not sought a doctor even after facing contractions.
Soon after giving birth, the husband had taken the baby in a plastic bag and buried it on the beach near a house named Beauty Rose.
The police had then gone the scene and dug the baby out of the ground, and taken the it to the hospital. The State accusation also states, in reference to a nurse from the hospital, that the baby had died after it was taken to the hospital.
Police have said that the couple had stated in their statements that they chose to bury the child because they did not want to child at that point in time.