Abu Dhabi maid strangled own baby to death out of shame

An Indonesian maid in Abu Dhabi has admitted to killing her own baby out of shame and embarrassment.

ABU DHABI // A maid has admitted that shame drove her to strangle her illegitimate baby in a hospital toilet.

The Indonesian maid said the baby was conceived out of wedlock back in her home country before she came to the UAE in February.

She did not tell her employer she was pregnant, but eight months later she had severe stomach pain.

Her employer took her to Al Mirfa hospital in Al Gharbia, where a doctor prescribed her painkillers.

The next day she was in more pain, according to court papers. She asked her employer to help. When her employer saw she was bleeding she took her back to hospital.

But before she could have any tests, the maid went to the toilet and gave birth. In the cubicle, she cut the umbilical cord and strangled the baby until it stopped breathing. She then put the baby in a bin and covered it with tissues.

When a toilet cleaner came to empty the bin, she found the baby and gave it in to a doctor who noticed blood clots around its neck and injuries to its chest.

The hospital then informed the police. Tests found the baby had been born alive and died from strangulation.

When brought in for questioning by prosecutors, the maid admitted what she had done. She said she had feared "embarrassment" and "shame" when she returned to Indonesia.

The maid has also been charged with having sex outside of marriage.

No court date has been set yet.