A 22-year-old mother, Jia Xin Teo, has been sentenced to life in prison after murdering her newborn daughter, whom she feared would impact her university studies.
Teo was convicted last week and received a minimum prison term of 17 years from Judge Mrs Justice Tipples.
The tragedy unfolded in Coventry on March 4, when Teo gave birth to her full-term baby girl in private. Following the birth, she concealed the infant’s body in a cereal box, which she then placed inside a suitcase. The crime was discovered when police were called to Teo’s residence on Raglan Street, where they found the baby’s remains hidden in the bag.
Teo had initially denied having given birth when questioned by hospital staff after she arrived, showing signs of childbirth. It wasn’t until two days later that officers discovered the deceased infant.
During the trial, Teo admitted to having given birth but expressed fears that disclosing the pregnancy would lead to repercussions from her family and friends in Malaysia, potentially affecting her academic career. She claimed to have heard voices urging her to dispose of the child, a statement the judge dismissed as untrue.
Judge Tipples expressed her belief that Teo had premeditated the act of killing her daughter, stating, “You knew that, by sealing that plastic bag, your baby would certainly die… I am sure your baby was alive for over four hours before you killed her.” The judge emphasised that Teo had made a conscious decision to keep her pregnancy a secret from her flatmates and even the baby’s father.
In her sentencing, Judge Tipples remarked on Teo’s deliberate actions to hide the birth and the baby’s body, asserting, “You thought that, by hiding her body in a cereal packet in your luggage, no one would ever find her body.”
Following the verdict, James Leslie Francis from the Crown Prosecution Service highlighted the gravity of Teo’s actions, stating, “Baby Teo was alive after birth and could have survived, but Jia Xin Teo decided to place her inside a cereal box knowing it would kill her.” He commended the jury for their careful consideration in what he described as a complex and sensitive case.
