Newborn Dies After Mother Hides Baby In Washing Machine 'Ashamed' Of Having It Out Of Wedlock

An Indonesian woman was arrested Wednesday in connection with the death of her newborn baby.

The unidentified 36-year-old woman gave birth to the baby on Nov. 4. Hours after giving birth, the woman wrapped the baby in a blanket and hid it inside a washing machine at her workplace. A colleague heard the baby’s cries and found it inside the machine. She rushed the baby to a nearby hospital where it was declared dead.

During interrogation, the woman admitted to hiding the baby inside the machine but said she had no intention to kill the child and wanted to keep it inside only for a short time. She added she did so because she was ashamed that she had the baby out of wedlock, something that is considered a taboo in the country. The woman also said her boyfriend left her as soon as he found out about her pregnancy.

During a press conference, the woman said, “I put the baby in the washing machine, but I didn’t set it to tumble. I just wrapped it in a blanket because I was ashamed. My plan was to take the baby to an orphanage, I had no intention to kill.”

Meanwhile, the baby’s body was sent for autopsy to find out the exact cause of death. The mother was charged with infanticide. She will face up to 15 years in jail if found guilty of the crime.