A couple have been detained over the gruesome discovery of a baby’s head that stray dogs were fighting over.
Police received a call from a 23-year-old man who discovered the severed head of a baby near a house in Kg Kimolohin, Ranau, at about 11.50am on Jul 9.
Ranau police chief Deputy Supt Mohd Farhan Lee said the man, a chef who was hanging his laundry at his rented house, initially thought that a couple of stray dogs were fighting over a chicken carcass or some kind of meat.
When he looked more closely, he saw that it was a head with hair on it.
“He chased the dogs away, covered the head with a pail and alerted us,” Farhan said.
The decomposing head was sent to hospital and it was found that the upper skull was still intact but the jaw was missing.
“The face is hardly recognisable as it had started to rot and was missing an eye.
“We know that the child was a newborn and was born full term,” Farhan added.
At 3.30pm on the same day, a married couple aged 24 and 20 were arrested from the same village.
“We believe they are the parents of this baby and are questioning them,” Farhan said.
Police believe the couple should be able to provide information on the events leading to the disposal of the baby’s remains, which were dug up by dogs.
Also read: Jul 11, Headless and Armless Baby’s Body Gnawed by Stray Dogs