Bulgaria Midwife Who Wounded Baby Remains in Custody

The Sofia Court of Appeals has ruled that Emiliya Kovacheva, a midwife who beat a 4-day-old baby, is to remain under arrest.

The measure has been imposed after her 72-hour detention period ended on Thursday.

According to CCTV footage from the hospital and later to her own confessions, Kovacheva hit the child on the head and clutched at its neck while on a night shift at Sofiamed hospital in the early hours of Monday.

She is charged with attempted murder, though her defense insists she should be tried for inflicting grievous bodily harm instead. The midwife is facing a sentence of 15 to 20 years behind bars if found guilty.

Kovacheva, who admits to having hit the baby but has pleaded not guilty, was on a 24-hours shift at her own request at the time when the incident reportedly took place.

Doctors at the Tokuda hospital, to which the newborn was moved after reports of the incident emerged, earlier announced that the baby was recovering from its injuries, but also that the damage caused by Kovacheva had not led to any impairment.