Baby

A baby was found in a shallow grave in Reading near London Road.

However, the inquest heard that it was impossible to establish the cause of death. The remains were described as having been bones.

The inquest heard that the child had been between 2 and 6 months old and that the remains had been concealed for between 3 months to a year.

An open verdict was returned.

The court heard that the parents were known, and that certain charges had been made concerning the birth and treatment of the child.

It was heard that the parents had been West Indian and had followed a faith that believed in natural childbirth.

The court heard that the parents had been living in lodgings in Benham Road with the baby, but the landlady later said she stopped hearing the baby cry in July 1984, and said that the parents then began to lock their door and listen to loud music.

The landlady said that they all had a row over money in September 1984 and the police searched the flat, but could find no trace of the child.

The couple were later arrested and the father admitted delivering the child, which he said later became ill and died. He said that he then hid the body, and the child's remains, consisting of skull, hair and bones, were found in October 1984.

A pathologist said that after a special postmortem, the bones could be identified as those of a human, but that the race and sex could not be determined.

When the Coroner returned an open verdict, he said:

He noted that the family had had a problem with the heating at the time and that that could have contributed to the illness.

The Coroner continued:

The Coroner then noted that on the medical evidence that the cause of death could not be determined and that as such an open verdict was recorded.