Rich aristocrat Marten, 36, and her accomplice Mark Gordon, 49, are accused over the demise of their child Victoria whereas dwelling off-grid in a tent on the South Downs in wintry situations.
A nationwide search was launched over issues for the kid after a placenta was discovered within the couple’s burnt-out automotive by the motorway close to Bolton, final January 5.
Following their arrest final February 27, Victoria’s badly decomposed physique was present in a Lidl bag inside an allotment shed in Brighton, East Sussex.
Whereas the reason for her demise is “unascertained”, jurors have heard she might have died from the chilly or co-sleeping.
On Wednesday, defence witness Dr Ehsan Rafiq stated pregnant ladies weren’t legally obliged to obtain antenatal care and a few individuals, corresponding to members of the travelling neighborhood, didn’t routinely entry it.
He spoke of a common development in the direction of much less authoritative parenting kinds, corresponding to pure and residential births.
Defence barrister Neena Crinnion, for Gordon, requested: “What affect did Covid-19 have when it comes to free births and residential births?”
Dr Rafiq stated: “I believe that has accelerated that strategy of pure births, perhaps as a result of it was the worry of Covid an infection.”
He stated it will be “fully as much as the mom” whether or not or to not have medical intervention on giving start if there have been no issues for her well being.
He additionally outlined the idea of “attachment parenting” which might contain carrying the newborn in a sling and co-sleeping.
Francis FitzGibbon KC, for Marten, quizzed the witness concerning the follow of “hypnobirthing”.
Dr Rafiq stated it was not accessible on the NHS however agreed the follow was about making a relaxed surroundings by way of quite a lot of methods together with hypnosis.
Prosecutor Joel Smith queried the advisability of not having antenatal scans, saying: “There are very many important issues which are related each to the kid’s well being and the mom’s well being that may be picked up on a scan in antenatal care.
“Whereas it stays the mom’s resolution, your recommendation is to make the most of antenatal care?”
The witness replied: “That’s right.”
Mr Smith continued: “Your recommendation could be to not reside in a tent in winter with a new child youngster as a result of that poses apparent hazard to the life of a kid?”
Dr Rafiq agreed.
Skilled on sudden deaths in kids, Dr Srinivas Annavarapu instructed the courtroom that Victoria was in all probability born earlier than final January 3.
It’s alleged the defendants went on the run two days later as a result of they wished to to maintain their daughter, after 4 different kids had been taken into care.
Following her arrest, Marten instructed police Victoria died when she fell asleep within the tent whereas holding her beneath her jacket.
The courtroom has heard that Marten had beforehand been warned by social staff of the dangers of falling asleep with the newborn on her and {that a} tent could be “wholly inappropriate for a child to reside in”.
The defendants, of no fastened deal with, deny manslaughter by gross negligence, perverting the course of justice, concealing the start of a kid, youngster cruelty and inflicting or permitting the demise of a kid.
The Outdated Bailey trial continues.
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