B. A., prosecuted for infanticide, appeared before the criminal chamber of the Thiès High Court. She is accused of causing the death of her newborn shortly after the birth, which occurred in December 2022.

In court, the defendant denied the charges, claiming she was unaware she was pregnant. "I used to have periods that were sometimes delayed for up to six months. When I noticed a seven-month delay, I went to see a doctor who diagnosed me with an infection and prescribed medication," she explained.

According to her testimony, she gave birth a few hours after taking the prescribed medication. “After taking the medication, I fell asleep. When I woke up, I felt the baby being born. My aunt then took me to the hospital, where I learned that the baby had died. It didn't cry at all at birth,” she added. The defendant stated that she was single and that this was her first child. She maintained that if she had known she was pregnant, she would have kept the baby.

Heard as a civil party, BF, presented as the child's father, confirmed that he too was unaware of the pregnancy. "We were a couple, but I didn't know she was pregnant. I learned of it while I was traveling in Saint-Louis. I immediately went to the regional hospital in Thiès," he stated. He indicated that he paid for the medical prescriptions and retrieved the newborn's body for burial, specifying that he found no signs of violence on the child's remains.

Testifying in court, the defendant's aunt stated that she too was unaware of BA's pregnancy. She explained that BA had been complaining of persistent stomach pains, which led her to take her to the hospital. "The doctor examined her and prescribed medication for an infection," she testified. According to her, the pain persisted despite the treatment, a situation that surprised her, but did not raise any suspicions of pregnancy. "I never thought she was pregnant because she never mentioned it to me," she insisted.

The aunt continued her story, explaining that she then heard screams coming from the bedroom. "I went to see and found that she had given birth," she said. The two women then reportedly went back to the hospital with the newborn, who was ultimately pronounced dead. The autopsy report stated that the cause of death was mechanical asphyxiation.

In his closing arguments, the public prosecutor stated that the evidence in the case demonstrated that the defendant was unaware of her pregnancy and had no intention of killing her child. In light of these circumstances, the prosecution requested that the charges be reduced from infanticide to manslaughter and sought a two-year prison sentence for BA.

The case has been adjourned for deliberation and will be decided on February 24, 2026.