A woman who killed her new born baby on the early hours of 26th February last year and is now two months pregnant has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Lautoka High Court.
Merewalesi Baleiniusiladi was charged with the murder of a new born baby.
High Court Judge Justice Priyantha Nawana while passing the sentence said that Baleiniusiladi had planned the killing of the infant while still carrying him and after killing the baby, disposed him in a plastic bucket and dumped the bucket at a stream to ensure that it drifted away so that the entire episode could be concealed from the whole world.
The court also heard that Baleiniusiladi is now in a de-facto relationship with another man and is two months pregnant.
Justice Nawana said the occurrence of this kind of killing has become frequent in Fiji and deterrence should accompany the sentence.
He sentenced Baleiniusiladi to life imprisonment with a parole period of 12 years.
He also ordered prison authorities to submit the prisoner to constant medical counseling and to keep her under observation both during and after her pregnancy.
Story by: Praneeta Deo
