Mom jailed for killing newborn

A mother who strangled her newborn daughter after giving birth in a restroom has been jailed for 11 years for murder, the Pudong New Area People's Court of Shanghai said yesterday.

The 21-year-old, surnamed Lu, originally from Guizhou Province, killed the child with a hair band and dumped her body in a bin, the court heard.

Lu had feared her family would find out about the child, the court heard.

On March 14, while working at a restaurant in the Pudong New Area, Lu went to a restroom in the building and gave birth to a baby girl.

She was found in the cubicle and taken to the Shanghai East Hospital.

In court, Lu's lawyer said she had suffered from mental illness. But the court ruled Lu should bear responsibility.