Today, a soldier’s wife was convicted for murdering her baby girl after she allegedly snatched her child out of fear over her immigrant status and under the stress of providing support to her family.
Silipa Keresi was found guilty of leaving son Maliki to die while wrapped in a towel at the foot of a tree in the New Forest.
He was 38 years old and had four other children. However, the court heard that he requested an abortion before his birth.
Following her arrest she confessed to social workers that she was feeling pressure because her husband had retired from the military. She also expressed concern about her immigrant status.
Prosecutors stated that although she attempted to be a great mother, she was’snapped.
The Fijian national was initially denied murder charges, but was today found guilty after a unanimous jury.
Silipa Kesi (pictured) was found guilty for killing Maliki. Maliki’s body was discovered by Maliki at the foot of a Tree after having been wrapped in towels.
Winchester Crown Court heard Maliki’s first discovery by a dog-walker in woodlands close to Hythe, March 2013.
Kerry Maylin, the prosecutor, opened the case and stated: “On Thursday March 5, a man named Michael Dorsett contacted the police.
He found a baby wrapped with a blanket. The New Forest’s Hythe woodland was where he had taken his dog for a walk.
“As the he walked…” [at about two o’clock]He saw something at the tree’s base.
He initially thought the animal was an animal, but when he got to the bottom of the tree, he discovered a towel with blood on it.
“He finally saw the face, and knew that it was a child. He noticed that baby Maliki was not reacting to the cold cheek.
In March 2020, police arrived on the scene to examine the remains of the child in Hythe near Southampton.
A court was informed that Mr Dorsett had returned home to call police. They led him through the forest until they reached the infant, with his umbilical chord still attached.
Ms Maylin explained that she had seen the white towel and also observed two feet clearly visible on (the police officer),
“There was blood on Maliki’s feet. The baby was wrapped well and was sitting on the trunk of the tree.
‘[The baby had]There were no obvious injuries, and the umbilical cord was still attached.
According to the court, Keresi had attempted contact with several service providers during her pregnancy including Keresi’s GP and midwives.
Ms Maylin said that all these agencies had tried to get in touch with Mrs Keresi.
“She met with a midwife for a discussion about the possibility of termination.
“She thought she had been about 12 weeks pregnant, but the results showed that she was in fact 26 weeks and five weeks pregnant. That’s more than what is required for legal termination.
‘[Mrs Keresi]Felt shocked and uncomfortable and wanted to get out.
Keresi, in an interview after her arrest with a professional social worker said that she felt more pressured since her husband had left the army.
Keresi was married to Dharma Keresi. He used to beat Keresi and hit her with an army belt. Her immigration status was a concern.
Ms Maylin stated that during the interview, she was able to say: [on March 13]Selipa Keresi was distraught and wept.
The court heard Maliki’s body was found by Michael Dorsett, who called police, before leading officers through the forest to Maliki, who was wrapped ‘carefully’ in the towel with his umbilical cord still attached
She said that she was struggling to cope with her situation.
“She was trying to be good parents, but she felt pressured after her husband’s departure from the army.
“She also had filled in an incorrect immigration form. In order to allow her to stay, [in the UK]The fine was too high for her budget.
“She claimed she wanted to be a mother, but then snapped.” She replied, “God understands” when she was asked.
“Police discovered, in the early hours March 4, a 30-32 hour delay before Maliki was located – Selipa Keresi saw her leaving her lodging.
“A camera at a farm nearby… What we see is someone with a white object over their shoulders at 04:51AM.
“About twenty minutes later, a person walks by the farm gate without any white items on their shoulders.
The court was told that a post-mortem revealed the baby had exhaled and breathed after birth, and could have been hypothermic.
Maliki died due to “omission of medical care” after an autopsy showed that she had suffered no injuries or anomalies.
Following the discovery of the victim’s body, police launched an appeal for help to trace the suspect. A midwife stepped forward.
Judge Justice Garnham adjourned Thursday’s case to sendencing. Keresi was remanded into custody.
He stated to her that there was only one sentence for the court, which he said was life imprisonment.