SIBU: The newborn baby boy who was found abandoned at a garbage dump on Jalan Tong Sang on Oct 29 is reported to be in stable condition.
"The baby was born prematurely at 41 weeks, weighing 1.43kg. The Sibu Welfare Department had interviewed the girl (the baby's mother) and her father (the baby's grandfather) on Oct 30.
"Welfare officers also visited the hospital to check on the baby's condition and coordinated with the police on the investigation," said Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah.
The state Women, Childhood, and Community Wellbeing Development Minister said in a statement on Tuesday (Nov 5) that the Sibu Welfare Department will also visit the girl's school to obtain her school report and will also conduct a home visit for further investigation.
"We are working on finding a suitable foster family or caregiver, as the girl's father (the baby's grandfather) has expressed unwillingness to care for the baby," she added
The police had arrested a 44-year old man who is believed to be an acquaintance of the 14-year old girl's father.
The man is being investigated under Section 376 of the Penal code for rape and Section 317 of the same Code for concealing a birth with the intent of abandoning an infant.
If found guilty, Section 376 provides for imprisonment for a term which may extend to twenty years, and shall also be liable to whipping.
The penalty for Section 317 if found guilty is a jail term of up to two years, a fine, or both.
The girl who was believed to be the baby's mother was also detained for investigation.
Meanwhile, Fatimah revealed that as of October this year, six cases of baby dumping have been recorded in Sarawak, including one where a baby was saved via the baby hatch at BMC Kuching in March.
Furthermore, as of October 2024, Sarawak recorded 118 rape cases, with 109 involving girls aged 18 and below. Significantly, 97 of these cases are classified as statutory rape (involving victims aged 16 and below), 11 as incest, 24 as sexual harassment, and 74 as child sexual abuse.
