Child abuse victim’s baby buried in field: Police probe Mukdahan tragedy

A distressing story has come to light as a baby born out of child sexual abuse died. The baby’s mother was a 12 year old girl who was allegedly abused by her father. This case reached its chilling climax when the baby was seen buried unceremoniously in a field by relatives, sparking suspicion regarding the cause of death.

Police in the northeast Mukdahan province received a troubling report from the village of Ban Chanode Noi, Dong Luang district. A 21 month old baby had died, and no traditional ceremonies were held. Instead, the body was buried in a mound in the middle of a paddy field. This hasty disposal, coupled with the lack of formal death registration by relatives, raised questions about the child’s demise.

Addressing the issue, police coordinated with relevant agencies to exhume the body for a post-mortem examination. Following the autopsy, officers opined unanimously that the child was born prematurely and had been chronically unwell. As the body didn’t bear any signs of violence, it was returned to the family for proper burial. Following this, the relatives reinterred the child in the paddy field.

Reporters revealed a horrifying backstory. The deceased child’s mother was a 12 year old schoolgirl. She had been sexually abused and impregnated in 2021. A DNA test confirmed the perpetrator was the girl’s biological father, who was subsequently jailed based on the incestuous rape charge by police, reported KhaoSod.

Once the father of the 12 year old girl was imprisoned, the mother, who was simultaneously the grandmother of the newborn, handed the baby over to an aunt and a grandfather before disappearing. Attempts to contact her since then have been unsuccessful.

The child’s grandfather narrated a grim incident where he found the child experiencing hiccups. He wiped the saliva with a cloth, after which the child went still. He checked the child’s neck for a pulse and discovered the heart-breaking truth of the baby’s death. It was after deliberation with village elders that they decided to bury the child in a remote paddy field, abandoning customary rituals.

This act disturbed local villagers and law enforcement. Consequently, the authorities had to exhume the child’s body for the third time to conduct a religious ceremony and arrange for a proper burial.