Court hearings in the case of the baby who drowned in a bath will be heard behind closed doors, a magistrate ruled today following agreement between the defence and the prosecution.

The 17-year-old mother of the baby, who drowned in a bath in Cospicua last month , is pleading not guilty to involuntary homicide.

In a sitting last week the court banned publication of names. The accused was also  remanded at the Forensics Unit of Mt Carmel Hospital.

When the sitting resumed this morning, defence counsel asked the court to have the case heard behind closed doors because of the age of the accused and the fact that the case had been given a lot of  publicity

Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit noted that court had already banned the publication of name sand in her opinion their rights were therefore safeguarded, however she wanted to hear the prosecution.

The prosecution said it did not oppose the request of the defence.

The court then agreed that the continuation of the case should be behind closed doors.

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