The woman who allegedly abducted an hours-old newborn from a Meanchey district hospital on Monday will face charges today, while the mother who had “little hope” of ever seeing her son again has been reunited with the baby.
Suspect Sok Chanthy, 37, was detained on Wednesday after a complaint from members of the child’s family led to a raid on her Sen Sok district home.
Kov Dan, 44, grandfather of the missing child, said a woman, after seeing a report about the kidnapping on TV, became suspicious of her neighbour, whom she had seen with a newborn that day despite the fact she had not been pregnant.
After the woman informed the family of her suspicions, Dan, along with the baby’s mother, 18-year-old Kov Sreyleak, and others approached police.
Under interrogation, the suspect failed to answer a series of basic questions about the child, ultimately leading her to confess, according to Meanchey district police chief Kong Samorn.
Samorn added that Chanthy – accused of impersonating a nurse in order to spirit away the baby – said she had no children of her own and was worried her boyfriend would leave her, an explanation that garnered little sympathy from Dan yesterday.
“I want police to put her in jail, because otherwise she will do it again and again with other babies,” he said.
The baby’s mother, Sreyleak, said yesterday her son was returned to her safely on Wednesday night.
“I am very delighted, nothing could compare to the return of my baby,” the young mother said.
