An Australian woman, Monique Ellen Burton, has been spared prison after pleading guilty to hiding the body of her newborn baby in a freezer, following a concealed pregnancy in Geraldton, Western Australia.
Burton, 35, gave birth in secret inside the living room of her home in August 2022, claiming the child referred to in court as Baby Burton, was stillborn. She wrapped the newborn’s body in her leggings, placed it inside a black garbage bag, and hid it behind her couch.
She concealed the pregnancy from her long-term partner of 14 years, Shaun Balaam, who was not the baby’s biological father. Even after he took her to the hospital over health concerns, Burton continued to deny being pregnant, telling medical staff that her symptoms were due to a liver condition.
While Burton remained in hospital, Balaam returned home and discovered the garbage bag. Suspecting what was inside, he placed it in a freezer on their veranda. Burton later confessed to police after learning of the bag’s discovery.
This wasn’t the first time Burton had hidden a pregnancy. To explain away visible symptoms such as a swollen abdomen, she repeatedly lied about having liver problems. She also admitted to feeling detached from reality, telling police her memory of the birth was “fuzzy” and that she had disassociated from the experience.
Earlier this week, Burton pleaded guilty to interfering with a corpse to prevent or prejudice an investigation. On Friday, the District Court delivered its sentence.
Presiding Judge Darren Renton acknowledged the disturbing nature of the incident but accepted that Burton believed the child was stillborn and had acted out of fear and shame.
“You said there was no noise from the baby and he looked like a doll,” the judge noted.
Burton received a 19-month suspended sentence, meaning she will not serve time unless she breaches the terms of her release. Judge Renton stated that while her actions were “repugnant” to community standards and involved “a degree of indignity towards Baby Burton,” her remorse and low risk of reoffending influenced the final judgment.
In addition to the corpse interference charge, Burton faced fraud-related charges linked to a GoFundMe campaign. The fundraiser, created by another individual, falsely claimed she was battling liver complications. Although Burton did not initiate the campaign, she accepted over AUS$3000 in donations. The court found her involvement was “largely passive,” but included it as part of the sentencing consideration.
Shaun Balaam, who initially placed the body in the freezer, was also charged and previously sentenced to an 18-month community corrections order for a similar offence.
The tragic case has drawn national attention in Australia, reigniting public discourse around mental health, pregnancy concealment, and the legal system’s handling of such sensitive matters.
(1News.co.nz)
