KUCHING: The recent baby dumping case in Sibu, involving a 14-year-old mother, has been linked to the crime of grooming by a 44-year-old man.
Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, commenting on the issue of baby dumping and sexual crimes against children in Sarawak, said the incident at Jalan Tong Sang, was a result of teenage pregnancy tied to the sexual crime of grooming.
“Investigations found that the 14-year-old girl (baby’s mother) was acquainted with the 44-year-old man, allegedly a friend of the girl’s father, since Oct last year.
“Investigations also revealed that their sexual relationship, initiated without the girl’s consent, began in March and continued until Oct 8.
“The girl, unaware of her pregnancy due to minimal symptoms, reportedly went into labour on Oct 29. At around 2 am, she experienced severe stomach pain and delivered the baby in her home toilet.
“Panicky and fearful of her father’s reaction, she wrapped the newborn in plastic and left him by a garbage bin,” she said.
Fatimah pointed out that baby dumping often stems from broader adolescent sexual issues such as teenage pregnancy, pornography, early sexual initiation, rape of a minor, unsafe and unprotected sex due to lack of education and sexual awareness, and involvement in risky sexual behaviour often linked to substance abuse.
In fact, stigma around out-of-wedlock pregnancies and inadequate family support further pressure teenage mothers into drastic actions of abandoning their newborns out of shame, fear, and confusion.
0On the Sibu case, she noted that the baby boy, who was born prematurely at 41 weeks, weighed 1.43kg and is reportedly in stable condition.
“Following the incident, the Sibu Welfare Division interviewed the girl and her father and checked on the baby’s condition in the hospital.
“They will also visit the girl’s school and home for further information. We are also working on finding a suitable foster family or caregiver, as the girl’s father has expressed reluctance to care for the baby,” she said.
Meanwhile, based on statistics from Sarawak’s Sexual, Women and Child Investigation Division (D11), a total of 44 cases of baby dumping or foetal abandonment were recorded in a six-year period – between January 2017 and December 2023.
Fatimah added that as of Oct 31, six cases of baby dumping were recorded, including one where a baby was saved through a baby hatch at BMC Kuching in March.
