Jia Xin Teo is a killer who was convicted of the murder of her newborn in the United Kingdom
According to court documents Jia Xin Teo was in the UK to attend school at the Coventry University. Jia Xin Teo who is from Malaysia arrived pregnant however she kept this secret from her roommates
Jia Xin Teo would give birth in secret and wrap the newborn in plastic, stuffed it into a cereal box and placed the box into a suitcase.
Jia Xin Teo would go to the hospital and tried to tell the doctors and nurses that she had not recently given birth however she would eventually tell the medical personnel what she did with the newborn
Jia Xin Teo would be arrested and charged with murder
At trial Jia Xin Teo would attempt to put forward a mental health defense telling the judge that voices drove her to harm and kill the newborn however that defense would fall flat and she would be convicted of murder
Jia Xin Teo will be sentenced at a later date
Jia Xin Teo Case
The Warwick Crown Court in Coventry, UK, has convicted Malaysian Jia Xin Teo of murder over her actions in placing her newborn child in a cereal box and hiding both in a suitcase.
According to the BBC, Teo arrived from Malaysia to study at Coventry University, and shortly after gave birth at her home on 4 March, hiding the baby’s existence even from her flatmates.
During the trial, Teo’s defence argued that she heard voices that told her to harm the baby, but this did not convince the judge.
According to the prosecutors, Teo hid her pregnancy from all around her the entire time, ostensibly over fears it would disrupt her studies
She had visited a hospital on March 5 where she displayed signs of having birthed a child, but denied this initially.
After further questioning, she confessed and told the authorities what she had done to her child.
Investigators following up on her admission found the child as she described, inside a cereal box, wrapped in plastic and placed inside her luggage.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) stated that Teo’s actions were deliberate and that the baby had been born alive and could have survived. Despite having opportunities to seek help, Teo chose to give birth in secret and hide the infant.
West Midlands Police were alerted when hospital staff became suspicious of Teo’s condition. The CPS condemned her actions, noting that she had lied to medical professionals, friends, and the police to conceal her baby.
The CPS said Teo had the chance to get help but instead carried out her pregnancy and childbirth in secrecy, ultimately causing the baby’s death. Teo will be sentenced at a later date.
