Kapiri Mposhi, Zambia — A 19-year-old first-year medical student at Mulungushi University’s main campus has been arrested after allegedly disposing of her newborn baby in a dustbin near her hostel.
The suspect, whose identity has been withheld, is currently receiving treatment at Kabwe Central Hospital under police guard.
According to Central Province Police Commanding Officer Yobe Luhana, the body of the infant was discovered on Thursday around 08:00 hours by a man scavenging for plastic bottles near Lalafuta hostel.
“Upon receipt of the information, police officers rushed to Mulungushi University main campus, where they found a still-born female baby lying on the ground, with part of its body wrapped in a plastic bag,” Mr. Luhana stated.
He explained that during the investigation, the suspect was identified and admitted that the deceased child was hers. The student reportedly told police that she had developed abdominal pains around 02:00 hours on Thursday, after which she went to a restroom and secretly delivered the baby. The infant reportedly fell into the toilet.
“She said she did not know whether the baby was born alive or not as it took some time to pick her from the toilet and that’s when she realised that she was dead,” Mr. Luhana recounted.
The suspect further narrated that she retrieved the baby’s body, placed it in a plastic bag, and discarded it in a trash bin near her hostel.
Police investigations into the incident are ongoing.
