A woman accused of contributing to the death of her infant son has been released from police custody, but is under a travel ban until 4 August. Media coverage of the case has also made a significant change.
An autopsy performed on the infant, who was found dead in a trash can behind Hotel Frón after a police search for the child, determined that the boy was born alive and healthy. As reported, the mother of the child hid from friends and co-workers the fact that she was pregnant, and was taken to the hospital by her former fiancé and his father shortly after giving birth, believing her to be ill. When the doctor at the hospital discovered the woman had just given birth – despite her insistence on the contrary – the doctor contacted the police.
Daníel Pálmason, the lawyer for the suspect, told Vísir that they saw no reason to object to the travel ban, as his client has no intention of leaving the country. “She is not on her way out of the country and does live here,” he said.
However, of special note about this story is its reportage. As previously mentioned, the woman’s nationality had been repeatedly emphasised by the media, to the point where the chairperson of the Society of Lithuanians in Iceland complained that the media was sowing prejudice towards Lithuanians. Today, not only the previously linked Vísir story but also related stories on RÚV and Mbl have made no mention of (or removed mention of) the suspect’s nationality. Whether this was a conscious decision in response to complaints of prejudice or a mere coincidence is unknown.
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