Mother receives suspended sentence for infanticide

A woman found guilty of murdering her one-day-old child, was sentenced to five years' rigorous imprisonment suspended for eight years by Kurunegala High Court Judge Menaka Wijesundara, yesterday. She was also fined Rs.5,000.

The accused, a resident of Polpithigama, had slashed her child's neck with a blade on November 18.

According to the medical report, there were four injuries on the infant's body. The defence attorney said that the suspect was suffering from a mental illness. State Counsel Charaka Dharmasiri prosecuted.