ABU DHABI // A maid who strangled her baby to death with her underwear had her jail sentence reduced to three years by the Appeals Court today.
JF, a Filipina, killed her baby shortly after giving birth in her room at her sponsor's house. She tied her underwear around its neck in a tight knot before putting it inside a plastic bag in her wardrobe.
She claimed she accidentally strangled the baby when she fainted while cleaning its neck with her underwear, saying that when she regained consciousness it was dead.
She also claims she hid the body in the wardrobe so she could take it back to the Philippines to show her husband.
She was originally sentenced to life in jail by the Criminal Court, but the Appeals Court reduced this to 10 years.
The Court of Cassation then asked the Appeals Court to reconsider the case. On its second hearing the Appeals Court reduced the jail term to three years.
hdajani@thenational.ae
