17-Year-Old Tries To Flush Newborn Baby Down Toilet After Giving Birth In Hospital Bathroom

A 17-year-old girl in India allegedly tried to flush her newborn baby down a toilet. The body of the child was found in the toilet of a private hospital Wednesday.

The hospital authorities in the southern state of Kerala said they were unaware the girl was pregnant. The teenager had gone to the hospital Tuesday with her mother due to severe stomach pain. She then went to the bathroom and gave birth to the child there, The Hindu reported.

“The girl, along with her mother, reached the hospital around 10am with complaints of stomach pain. The CCTV visuals clearly show that the girl went to the toilet area and a few minutes later the incident happened. Since we developed doubts, we questioned her and she agreed that she gave birth in the toilet,” an official with the Kochi hospital told The New Indian Express.

The police questioned the teenager's mother, who also claimed she was unaware of her daughter's pregnancy.

Authorities said they have completed their preliminary investigation and the child's body has been sent for an autopsy to the Ernakulam medical college. A case of unnatural death has been registered, the police said.

“As the girl was admitted to the hospital, we couldn’t take her statement. Since she is only 17, the case is registered under POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act). We hope to record her statement in a few days and a probe will be launched based on that,” the officer reportedly said.

Authorities said they suspect the family members tried to conceal the sexual abuse and pregnancy of the girl. However, this could not be confirmed until further investigation into the incident. The police added they believe the girl was six months pregnant and gave birth prematurely to the baby, The Hindu reported.

In a similar incident last month, a teenager delivered a baby inside a hospital bathroom and then dumped the newborn in a trash bin. The incident, which took place in the state of Telangana, came to light when sanitation workers found the baby inside the bin. The 16-year-old was arrested by the police and an investigation was launched into the incident.