No charge yet against woman in bathroom birth incident

A mother of seven, who recently gave birth to a baby in a bathroom at the back of a shop in Clare Valley, has not been charged with an offence.

The woman, who it is alleged is an alcoholic, gave birth on Monday, July 25 at around 10:30 a.m. She was rushed to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH) by concerned persons and it was later reported that the child was dead.{{more}}

Upset residents of the quiet fishing community who spoke to SEARCHLIGHT claim that the woman had been consuming alcohol on the morning of the incident, something that she had been doing regularly throughout her pregnancy. She was over eight months pregnant when she delivered the baby.

Police were said to be investigating the incident, but no charges have been laid and at least one villager has expressed concerns about the fact that the woman has not be held responsible for the child’s death.

“She walking around like normal and nobody can’t seem to find out what went wrong,” said the concerned villager.

A legal mind had commented last week that the possibility exists that if the police, through thorough investigation, are able to prove that the child received no prenatal care and that the mother was consuming large amounts of alcohol and that the child was born alive but died, then the possibility exists that she could be charged with a crime.

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy may cause miscarriage, stillbirth, and a range of lifelong physical, behavioural, and intellectual disabilities. These disabilities are known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs).