Lack of Oxygen caused baby's death - Dr Ceesay tells the court

Dr. Abdoulie Ceesay, a medical practitioner attached to the Accident and Emergency Unit of the RVTH, on Monday told the Special Criminal Court that lack of oxygen caused the death of a baby, allegedly dumped by the mother.

The medical practitioner told the court that when the body of the baby was brought to the RVTH for medical examination, it was wrapped in seven different clothes, placed into two plastic bags and put into a sack.

He said the body was 45 cm in length, and almost decayed. He said the examination conducted on the baby revealed that the baby was born alive.

Dr. Ceesay adduced that after the examination, he came to the conclusion that the baby was born alive and thrown away. He said the medical examination further revealed that the baby died as a result of lack of oxygen.

Dr. Ceesay was testifying in a criminal case involving one Sirreh Gomez, who is standing trial on charges of concealment of birth and causing the dead of her newly born baby on 4th July 2009, at Fajara Barracks.

"I was called to the Mortuary and found a dead baby. The police brought a request for a post-mortem which I did," Dr. Ceesay told the SCC.

He adduced further that "all the internal organs, including the chest and the lungs were normal."

State prosecutor S. Bakun applied to tender the said medical report, dated 10th August 2009 as an exhibit, which was granted by the trail judge without any objection from the defence counsel, Anna Njie.

At this stage, Justice Moses Richards adjourned the case to 16th February 2010.

According to the particulars of offence, count one stated that the suspect, Sirra Gomez, on or about 4th February 2009, at the Fajara Barracks, unlawfully caused the death of her newly-born baby by putting her in a nylon bag, knowing that death would be probable consequences of such act, and thereby committed an offence.