KOCHI: The body of a stillborn was found in the toilet of a private hospital in Kochi on Wednesday. It was found by the sanitation workers of the hospital. According to a preliminary report, a 17-year-old girl— who came to the hospital along with her mother with severe stomach pain — delivered the stillborn in the toilet and attempted to flush it down. But the cleaning staff found the body stuck in the toilet. The hospital authorities maintained that they were clueless about the girl’s pregnancy.
“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,” said an official with the hospital. However, when the police questioned, her mother said she was unaware of the pregnancy.
“We have completed the inquest procedures and sent the body of the still-born to the forensic surgeon at the Ernakulam medical college,” said a police officer. The police have registered a case of unnatural death and invoked the POCSO Act. “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. We hope to record her statement in a few days and a probe will be launched based on that,” said the officer. The police also suspect that the family members tried to conceal the sexual abuse and pregnancy of the girl.