‘I’m not mad... I love my baby’

The 17-year-old mother whose baby drowned in the bath was yesterday charged with involuntary homicide, shouting “I’m not mad, I love my baby!” as she was escorted away to Mount Carmel Hospital.

The girl, whose nine-month-old Roselana died on Friday in Cospicua, had threatened to take her own life following her daughter’s death, a police inspector told the court.

As she stood in the dock at the start of the hearing, wearing a white shirt and jeans and her hair in a bun, she was silent, speaking only to confirm her particulars.

She tearfully pleaded not guilty to the involuntary homicide of the baby between 3.30 and 4.45pm.

According to sources close to the case, Rosalana was in the bath at that time, as her mother chatted on Facebook, discussing where to go out that evening.

The baby’s father, Josef Grech, was not on good terms with the accused and they had split up. On Friday he went to collect his daughter and his mother rang the door bell.

His former girlfriend looked out of the balcony window and said she would just be a minute, Mr Grech told The Sunday Times in an interview.

Seconds later she was out on the balcony screaming for help.

He sprinted up three flights of steps and found her holding the dripping child.

He grabbed the baby and ran to the health centre.

Police Inspector Robert Said Sarreo told Magistrate Audrey Demicoli that the accused had been in Mount Carmel Hospital for three days under the care of psychiatrist Joseph Spiteri, who recommended that she remain there for treatment.

The accused had threatened to take her own life, the inspector said. Straight after the baby’s death she also threatened Mr Grech, he added.

He said Dr Spiteri recommended that she be kept at the hospital’s forensic unit for further treatment even though she had been discharged.

Legal aid lawyer Mark Mifsud Cutajar said the best place for her to be was at home with her parents.

But the inspector replied that he feared there might be tampering of evidence, so she should be kept in custody.

Magistrate Demicoli ordered that the girl be kept in custody at Mount Carmel.

As she left the court room she looked angry and moments later could be heard shouting that she was not mad.

Her two police escorts were trying to take her to the police lock-up but she was refusing to go, saying she loved her daughter more than anything.

Her mother and father began shouting too and got into an argument with a police inspector in the corridor outside the court room.

They then calmed down and left.

The court has ordered a ban on the publication of the mother’s name.