Concealment Of Birth; Inquest On Female Child

Wanganui Chronicle, 30 October 1948, Page 5

Concealment Of Birth; Inquest On Female Child

WELLINGTON, Last Night (PA). —There is a possibility that this child might have been manually strangled, said the coroner (Mr. W. G. Mellish), at an inquest into the death of a newly-born female child today. The report of the pathologist. Dr. P P. Lynch, showed conclusively that the child received no attention after birth, said Mr. Mellish. The examination did not definitely show it had been strangled, and the police could not bring m a charge of murder or manslaughter, but were right in bringing a charge of concealment of birth He said the evidence did show a culpable negligence on the part of two women, said Mr. Mellish, in finding that the child was born on September 1 and died on that day by asphyxia Dr. Lynch said he had made a post-mortem examination of the body on September 2 The child had breathed, but died shortly after birth. It was fullv developed, with no sign of disease. Pressure had been applied to the throat Death was due to asphyxia No attention had been given the child after birth Detective-Sergeant F O. Scott said a young woman wfls admitted to the Wellington Hospital on September 1 and it was later ascertained she had just given birth to a child of which there was no trace. After inquiries were made another woman showed him a hole in the garden of a house in Hataitai, where Ine found the body of a child wrapped In a newspaper.