'schoolgirl who punched her baby boy to death minutes after she secretly gave birth in her bedroom has avoided a jail sentence.

Lauren jayne curnow was 17 at the time of the killing and never told her family or friends she was pregnant, the victorian supreme court was told today.
Curnow, now 18, of the ballarat suburb of wendouree, pleaded guilty to one count of infanticide.

Justice bernard bongiorno sentenced her to a three-year good behaviour bond and ordered her to undertake counselling and other treatment under the directions of her psychologist.

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the teenager gave birth to a boy in her bedroom, cut the umbilical cord with scissors, punched the baby several times to the head, wrapped it in a towel and placed it beside her bed in august, last year, the court was told.

Justice bongiorno said some people who did not know all the facts of the case may believe the sentence did not punish her, but he said he did not believe she should go to jail.

"i am satisfied that the interest of the community and particularly the interest of you are best served by you becoming a useful member of society, certainly not by going to jail," he said.

"(your) punishment could be served without you having to serve more time in jail."

curnow's lawyer tony lewis told the court his client kept her pregnancy a secret because she was afraid of how her family and friends would respond.

"she kept that secret from not only her parents and also her friends ... She did so because of an underlying fear of losing the respect and love of her parents, and in particular her father," mr lewis said.

Mr lewis asked that curnow be released under a supervision order and said she had never been in trouble with the law before, she pleaded guilty at the earliest time and there was "powerful" evidence of her contrition.

Crown prosecutor jeremy rapke qc told the court the crown would not object to the sentence.'




just wondered what peoples opinions are on this news story.

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