Police in Bali’s Buleleng regency have apprehended a minor believed to have dumped a deceased baby earlier this month, a case which stirred local residents after the baby was discovered as it was being dragged away by a monitor lizard.
“We are still investigating and looking into the motive of the potential suspect, we are also verifying the time of birth [of the baby],” Gede Sumarjaya, spokesman from Buleleng Police, said.
“They are detained with the Women and Child Protection Unit at Buleleng Police because the potential suspect is believed to be a minor.”
A deceased baby was reportedly abandoned in Gerokgak district and discovered by a local resident on June 7, as the baby was being dragged away by a monitor lizard.
Police also found a blood-stained cloth, a bloody sanitary pad, and the remains of a burned cardboard at the location where the baby was found.
Under Indonesia’s criminal code and 2002 Child Protection Law, the dumping of a baby carries a maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment. Should the arrested minor be formally declared a suspect in the case, they may end up receiving a lighter punishment.
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