Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
HAMMOND, INDIANA--A Northwest Indiana woman has pleaded guilty to giving birth on Carnival Dream and leaving the baby girl to die under a bed.
The deceased infant was discovered in a guest cabin by a Carnival Dream employee while the ship was in port in St. Maarten on October 12, 2011. The cruise line informed authorities in St. Maarten about the incident. That same day Dutch authorities took custody of the infant's body and interviewed the mother. The mother, who remained in St. Maarten for a time, returned to the United States later.
Alicia Keir (24) of DeMotte, Indiana, entered a plea to an involuntary manslaughter charge earlier this week in a US federal court, the Associated Press (AP) reported earlier this week.
Court records show Keir gave birth in her stateroom in October 2011, wrapped the baby in a towel and hid her under the bed, The Times newspaper of Munster, Inidana, reported.
"She did not move. She did not make a sound," Keir told US District Judge Rudy Lozano, saying she had known the baby was born alive. "I should have gotten help," she said.
A cleaning crew found the baby dead the next day when the ship arrived at port in St. Maarten. Keir flew home from St. Maarten after the infant was discovered.
A doctor found that the baby had died from exposure and lack of care, US Attorney Randall Stewart said. Court records show the baby was born without any diseases or defects. Keir said she had known she was pregnant, but had not told her travel companions.
Federal prosecutors said they had jurisdiction in the case because of Keir's Indiana residency, even though the baby had died at sea. Keir faces up to eight years in prison and a fine of up to US $250,000 when she is sentenced August 20. Her plea agreement states that prosecutors and the defence can argue for what they believe is an appropriate sentence, the AP report said.
