Police probe death of newborn

 POLICE in East New Britain are looking for a woman who buried her child after giving birth.

Provincial police commander Superintendent Anthony Wagambie in a statement said police were looking for the woman who ran away from home after locals discovered the infant on February 2, in Gazelle.

Wagambie said her family and members of the community were aware that she was pregnant. But she gave birth secretly without letting her family know and buried the child.

Locals told police that the child would already have died during birth because the woman was seen taking herbs meant to kill the child.

Police suspect that she was under pressure to kill her baby and was taking the herbs to help her.

The locals dug up the child in a nearby garden and reported the matter to Kerevat police. Wagambie said investigations were continuing and urged the woman to surrender to police.

Infanticide is a crime regarding the killing of unborn babies.