A Coventry University student who placed her newborn baby in a cereal box and hid it inside a suitcase has been convicted of murder. Jia Xin Teo, 22, from Coventry, was found guilty by a jury at Warwick Crown Court after her defence of hearing voices instructing her to harm the baby was rejected.
Teo, originally from Malaysia, gave birth to the child at full term on 4 March 2024 at her address on Raglan Street. She concealed her pregnancy from everyone she knew, including her flatmates and friends. According to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Teo placed the baby in a cereal box, and then sealed it inside a plastic bag before hiding it in a suitcase. The CPS stated that the baby “was alive after birth and could have survived but Jia Xin Teo made the decision to place her inside a cereal box knowing that it would kill her.”
West Midlands Police were alerted to Teo’s address two days after the birth when she arrived at a hospital showing signs of having given birth. When questioned by hospital staff, she initially denied giving birth. It was only later that she admitted having the baby and explained that she was afraid her family and friends in Malaysia would find out, potentially affecting her studies.
James Leslie Francis of the CPS said, “She arrived in the UK knowing she was likely to give birth in the country and had the opportunity to seek help.” He added that Teo “chose to carry her pregnancy in secret and give birth alone,” refusing medical assistance and lying to friends, medical staff, and police to conceal her baby’s existence.
Teo’s sentencing date is yet to be arranged
