Newborn girl’s death in Maó: mother faces murder trial

A newborn girl’s death in Maó, Menorca, in Spain’s Balearic Islands, puts her mother on course for a murder trial on Thursday, 29 October. Prosecutors say the baby died after her head was submerged in a toilet, and seek an eight-year prison sentence. Jury selection is due to begin at 09.30, though an agreement between the parties could stop the trial going ahead.

What prosecutors say happened

According to the prosecution, the woman, then 22, felt severe abdominal pain at about 05.00 on 10 September 2024. She gave birth roughly five hours later. Neither she nor her boyfriend had known she was pregnant. He went to a pharmacy and called the emergency services several times, but did not tell them she was giving birth.

The girl was born alive. Prosecutors say she died from lack of oxygen after her head was submerged in a toilet and she inhaled water. Membranes from the birth also covered her mouth and nose. Her mother was in shock after giving birth and flushed the toilet. In seeking an eight-year sentence, prosecutors cite her mental state as a partial defence and her confession as a mitigating factor.

A trial that may not go ahead

The jury has yet to be selected. If the parties do not reach an agreement, nine jurors and substitutes will be chosen. The hearing would then move to the court documents, expert reports and witness evidence. Proceedings are due to resume the following Tuesday.

Topics: Court cases

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com