20-05-2025
Woman Abandons Stillborn Baby In Hospital Freezer, Court Shows Leniency After Hearing Her Story
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The woman said she didn't intend to abandon the body, claiming she didn't know she was pregnant until doctors treating her stomach issues told her the foetus had died
A shocking case has emerged from Hong Kong involving a 25-year-old woman, Huang, who has been convicted of abandoning the body of her stillborn child. In 2022, she gave birth to the stillborn baby in Taiwan and left the body in a hospital freezer, leading to her recent conviction.
According to the South China Morning Post, Huang moved to Taiwan in 2021 to continue her studies. On November 5, 2022, she delivered a stillborn baby at the Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University in Taichung at 21 weeks of pregnancy. Media outlet China Times reported that she placed the baby's body in a hospital freezer and arranged for a funeral company to collect it, with a deposit to be paid by December 10, 2022. However, she did not return and remained out of contact.
Huang was eventually apprehended by Taiwanese police, and her case was heard in April. In court, Huang claimed she had no intention of abandoning the body, stating she was unaware of her pregnancy until seeking medical help for stomach issues, at which point doctors informed her of the foetus's death.
'I was alone and away from home. I had no money and no one to help. I even had to struggle to buy food," she said in her defence. Huang also mentioned that she signed a document with the funeral company without understanding its contents and could not recall the company's name due to her grief.
Taking into account Huang's status as an international student, her financial and emotional distress, lack of prior criminal record, and settlement of pending fees with the funeral home, the judge decided on a lenient sentence. Huang was sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for two years.
First Published:
May 20, 2025, 17:36 IST
