AN undocumented expatriate, who gave birth under another woman’s identity, is standing trial for allegedly misusing ID documents.
The Egyptian woman, who lent her identity card to the new mother to ‘make things easier for her’, is also in the dock for aiding and abetting her Moroccan co-defendant.
Although the mother did not appear at the High Criminal Court for her first hearing yesterday, the Egyptian was present and denied the charges levied against her.
“I was just doing a humanitarian thing to help out another person – I swear to God I’m innocent!” the Egyptian told judges yesterday.
According to court documents, the 34-year-old Moroccan had come to Bahrain to look for a job and was living without a residence permit or a CPR card.
In February 2020, when the alleged crime took place, she had given birth in her apartment and called an ambulance to take her to Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC).
“My sister asked me to lend her my CPR card to help out a woman in need who didn’t have any identification,” the 36-year-old Egyptian interior designer said.
“When I saw her with blood everywhere after giving birth, I couldn’t help but give her my card out of empathy so that she could be admitted into an ambulance.”
The Egyptian woman’s husband, who is a Bahraini, told prosecutors that he soon received a call from SMC police asking him to come register his newborn.
“I told them that’s not right – I have no relation to the baby and my wife is right here with me, so there was no way she had a baby,” the retired Karbabad resident said in a Public Prosecution interview.
Meanwhile, the Moroccan had admitted in prosecution hearings to using the fellow expat’s card.
“I was just out of labour and I wasn’t thinking straight when I gave the healthcare workers the woman’s card.”
The Egyptian’s sister also gave prosecutors her account of the incident.
“The first defendant (Moroccan) asked my sister (second defendant) for her card because she has no residence, and because my sister’s husband is Bahraini.
“My sister gave her card out of sympathy so she could complete the ambulance procedures and be transported to the hospital.”
Official documents from SMC list the Moroccan’s birth “unsupported delivery”, and add that she was treated for palpitations but that she was otherwise healthy.
The Egyptian’s lawyer appeared with his client while she denied the charges against her.
The Moroccan, on the other hand, did not appear yesterday and did not have a legal representative to speak on her behalf.
Judges adjourned the hearing to Monday for a defence statement.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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