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20 Nov, 2007 04:41

Parents who hid dead baby in woods to be charged?

Police are considering pressing charges against a couple who dumped the body of their dead two-month-old daughter in the woods. The parents, afraid they might be accused of murder, then reported her missing. Police eventually found the dead child after

Officers discovered the body in a forest in Sverdlovsk region. A forensic examination ruled that the girl died of natural causes, but her parents are under investigation. They have confessed to leaving her body in the forest after they say they found the girl dead in their home.

On the night of November 17, Ludmila and Igor woke up to find their two-month-old Valeria dead. Because Igor has previous convictions, he said he was worried he would be blamed for his daughter's death. The couple dressed the child, put her in a stroller, and took her to the woods – and then called the police to declare her missing.

Together, they wrote a statement that they girl had been taken while the mother was in a store buying beer.

After a massive search operation and interrogation of witnesses, the police began to see cracks in their story, but couldn't find the couple to ask them more questions.

“Their flat was locked, a child's voice from inside the apartment said that his parents weren't home. Eventually we broke down the door to the apartment and inside were three children including a two-year-old.  Their drunk parents were lying on the floor under the bed,” said Anatoly Galkin, the head of Beryozovsky Police, Sverdlovsk Region.

Several hours of questioning and Ludmila and Igor confessed what had really happened. Though, they weren't sure themselves how Valeria had died.

Meanwhile, the forensics test has ruled out murder and says Valeria had choked to death. Ludmila and Igor could now face completely different charges.

“Deliberately giving false evidence – we are in the process of deciding whether to launch a criminal investigation on the grounds of this. But we will also probably launch one on the grounds of another clause – not carrying out parental duties,” Anatoly Galkin said.

It's still unclear what consequences the couple will face. The maximum punishment for the mistreatment of children is a fine or a conditional sentence.

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