SHAH ALAM – A Malaysian student, Jia Xin Teo, 22, has been convicted of murder by the Warwick Crown Court in the United Kingdom (UK) for placing her newborn baby in a cereal box before hiding it in a suitcase.
Jia, who had arrived in the UK earlier this year to study, had concealed her pregnancy and gave birth to a full-term baby on her bathroom floor on March 4.
She then placed the baby, who was alive, into a cereal box, sealed it in a plastic bag, and hid it in a suitcase.
According to reports, Jia told police that her baby survived 'at least a few minutes' and was still moving when placed in the box.
Following the birth, Jia's health deteriorated, leading her to seek medical help, where hospital staff questioned her.
Despite initially denying giving birth, a test confirmed her recent delivery, prompting the hospital to alert the authorities.
Two days later, police discovered the infant’s body in Jia's bedroom after she confessed, explaining that she was afraid her family and friends in Malaysia would find out.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) revealed that Jia had claimed she was hearing voices instructing her to dispose of the baby. However, a jury at Warwick Crown Court rejected her defence.
"Baby Teo was alive after birth and could have survived, but Jia Xin Teo made the decision to place her inside a cereal box knowing that it would kill her.
"She lied to friends who cared about her, to doctors at the hospital and to the police so that no one found her baby. She did not tell the police where she hid her baby until two days had passed by which time the baby would certainly be dead,” James Leslie Francis, from the CPS reportedly said.