The criminal trial for alleged concealment of birth, involving one Sira Fadera, continued recently at the Brikama Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Babucarr Secka.
Ms Fadera was alleged to have concealed her giving birth on 13th October 2010 at Kabokorr village, a charge she denied.
Testifying, prosecution witness Binta Sanyang told the court that the accused person came to their village for local treatment, and was staying in her compound.
She informed the court that she never noticed that the accused was pregnant, until on the day of the incident, when she came from the garden and asked the accused to bring her clothes for her to wash, and the accused refused.
“I later entered my house, where the accused spent the night and I smelled something which was not normal. I asked the accused whether she had given birth, and she replied in the affirmative,” Ms Sanyang told the court.
The accused, the witness added, told her that she gave birth, but it was just like water and that she had thrown it away at the backyard, She added that they went to the backyard, but nothing was found there.
“I later noticed blood stains on what she was wearing, and I told my husband to take her to the hospital. Then the accused told me that I should keep it a secret, but I refused,” she added.
“As the accused left for the health centre, I entered my house to pack her clothes, when I saw a nylon bag. Then I called my husband, who also called the alkalo of the village,” she told the court.
The alkalo, she continued, also called the police at Sibanor Police Station who came, opened the nylon bag and found the body of a baby inside, adding that she later gave her statement.
The case at that juncture was adjourned for continuation.