Articles - Mother pleads guilty after abandoning baby on beach

A 21 year-old woman has pleaded guilty for abandoning her newborn baby on a beach last Saturday - an incident that has sent shockwaves across the island.

Alisa Ellis made the plea when she appeared before Magistrate Ian Weekes in the Holetown Magistrate Court on Wednesday.

According to police reports, the young woman, who has two other children, gave birth on the beach, left the newborn under a tree and headed home before returning to the scene. However, lawmen said she panicked when she saw police and other people there and left.

Having posted BD$3,500 (US$1,750) bail, Ellis is required to undergo a psychological assessment and is scheduled to return to court on November 4.

The baby remains at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Bridgetown and is in excellent health, according to reports.