Mother of dead baby found in Tampines MRT station toilet not known

He came to this world and left without a name.

Such was the fate of a newborn found dead and wrapped in a red plastic bag in a toilet at Tampines MRT station in June.

The boy's identity as well as his mother's identity remain unconfirmed till today, the State Courts heard at the inquiry into the baby's death.

Although the authorities believe an Indonesian woman to be the mother, they were unable to reach her for DNA testing before she returned to Batam.

Yesterday, State Coroner Marvin Bay recorded an open verdict in his findings.

While he excluded foul play, he could not say for certain what the cause of death was, for instance, suffocation, stillbirth or neglect.

Cleaner Jumiati Amat, 75, had found the baby in the bin on June 3. TNP FILE PHOTO

The inquiry heard that a cleaner found the baby's body inside a sanitary pad bin in the women's toilet of Tampines MRT station at about 1.30pm on June 3.

The umbilical cord and placenta were still attached.

After reviewing close-circuit television footage, investigations pointed to three Indonesian women who had arrived here in May to help out at the Hari Raya bazaar beside Tampines MRT, said police investigation officer, Senior Staff Sergeant Sanjeewani Panday.

THE NEW PAPER, JUNE 4

Two of the women, identified by the inquiry as Ms A, 31, and Ms I, 26, were seen entering the toilet at about 8.10am.

Ms I was seen carrying a pink bag containing something heavy that was slung over her shoulder, said the investigation officer.

But when she left the toilet about 20 minutes later, the bag seemed light and would sway about when she walked, said Senior Staff Sgt Sanjeewani.

DIFFICULTY

A third woman, identified as Ms M, 35, was seen entering the toilet just after 10am and leaving at about 11.10am.

She appeared to have been walking with some difficulty, said the investigation officer.

Ms Mabel Lee, a witness who had entered the toilet at about 11am, saw Ms M poke her head out of the cubicle where the baby was later found before darting back in.

Witnesses who used the toilet between 9am and noon said they did not hear a baby crying or anything unusual.

Ms A, Ms I and Ms M returned to Batam between June 5 and 7.

Madam Jumiati Amat showing where she found the body of a newborn baby. TNP FILE PHOTO

The authorities later enlisted the help of another Indonesian woman to contact Ms I via Facebook.

Ms I, who was in Batam, claimed that Ms M was the mother of the baby and that she was the one who left him in the toilet, said Senior Staff Sgt Sanjeewani.

She added that a HarbourFront Ferry Terminal CCTV footage shows Ms M looking pregnant when she arrived from Batam on May 25.

But there was no footage of her leaving Singapore due to a security fault, said the investigation officer.

She also told the inquiry that the baby was possibly born in the early hours of June 3.

But it was unlikely that the baby was delivered in the toilet cubicle as it would have left the cubicle heavily stained with blood.

The state coroner said Ms M's visit to the toilet was likely to alleviate the after-effects of birth rather than to give birth.

Mr Bay noted that there were no fatal traumatic injuries on the baby - although there was some bleeding in the soft tissue under its scalp, which normally happens during birth.

"Based on the evidence uncovered, there is no basis to suspect foul play despite the rather callous and sadly unceremonious manner that the infant was found, apparently discarded, in a sanitary bin," he said.

Mr Bay added that the three women connected to the case remain persons of interest.