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AN 18-year-old girl has been sentenced to a month behind bars and fined RM5,000 by the Sungai Besar Magistrates’ Court after admitting to secretly disposing of her newborn’s body in a toilet at a local petrol station.
The teenager, who works as an assistant at a local eatery, entered a guilty plea as the charge was read out by a court interpreter before Magistrate Siti Hajar Ali on Thursday, Sinar Harian reported today.
According to the charge, she was accused of concealing the birth of her child by disposing of the baby’s remains in the women’s toilet of a Petronas petrol station located in Kampung Sungai Haji Dorani at around 11am on 23 March.
The act constitutes an offence under Section 318 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both upon conviction.
Police were alerted to the incident following the discovery of a newborn’s body in the toilet of the petrol station. CCTV footage later revealed two women arriving at the scene in a Perodua Bezza, one of whom was visibly pregnant.
Investigations led to the arrest of the accused two days later in Meru, Klang.
During the proceedings, the court was told that the young woman had no idea she was pregnant and initially believed the abdominal pain she was experiencing to be menstrual cramps. While using the toilet at the petrol station, she unexpectedly gave birth, and the baby fell into the toilet bowl.
She then revealed that the pregnancy resulted from being raped by a man she had only recently met. However, she refrained from reporting the incident to anyone due to fear and shame.
The accused was represented by lawyer Muhd Muqri Mohd Khairi from the National Legal Aid Foundation (YBGK), who pleaded for a lenient sentence.
“I humbly request the court to take into account the accused’s young age and the fact that this is her first offence,” said Muqri. “She is still financially dependent on her mother, who earns a low income, and was clearly not in a rational state of mind at the time.”
“A lighter sentence, possibly in the form of a fine, would serve as a valuable lesson and help guide her to become a better person in the future,” he added.
However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohamad Nor Hakimi Mohamad Rosedin pressed for an appropriate punishment, describing the act as “heart-wrenching” and stressing the importance of setting a precedent for others.
In delivering her judgment, Magistrate Siti Hajar Ali ruled that the accused be jailed for one month from the date of conviction and fined RM5,000. Failure to pay the fine would result in an additional five months’ imprisonment.
“This sentence is deemed sufficient after considering all factors, including the young age of the accused, her remorse, and the fact that this is her first offence,” said the magistrate.
“While the court cannot disregard public interest, it also has a duty to safeguard the welfare of the accused. It is hoped that this sentence will serve as a lesson not only to her but also to her peers,” she concluded. – April 10, 2025
