Following an 11-day trial, a student nurse has been acquitted of plotting to kidnap a baby from a neonatal ward. Safia Ahmadei was accused of scouting New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton for a baby she could pass off as her own. She has always maintained her innocence since her arrest in February. The prosecution argued that she was planning to kidnap a baby to pass off as her own after lying to her second husband about being pregnant with twin boys. But she repeatedly insisted she had no intention of taking a child to pretend it was her own, and the jury found her not guilty in just 48 minutes.
In an interview with the BBC, Ms. Ahmadei said, “My reputation, my dignity, my career is gone, all because of a wrong allegation.” Her experience of the justice system has left her “smashed”. The mother of two was on remand in prison for six months awaiting trial and said she was attacked three times by other inmates. She was unable to speak to family members while behind bars because it took four months to get phone calls approved. Ms. Ahmadei said, “Prison made me broken – behind the door, in the dark, thinking about my two flowers… my children.”
Ms. Ahmadei enrolled on a nursing course at the University of Wolverhampton in 2022. She was in her second year and training at the city’s hospital when she encountered a distressed new mum on the neonatal ward that led to her being arrested, charged, and facing trial accused of trying to steal her baby. During the trial, nursing staff from the hospital gave evidence, while the prosecution used her repeated appearances on the neonatal ward, changing of clothes, and purchasing of baby outfits as evidence against her.
Despite her experience, Ms. Ahmadei is still pursuing a career in nursing and hopes to be re-enrolled on a course. She said, “I’m a strong mother. I will get my degree, but I worry that there could be another Safia in the future.” The University of Wolverhampton said an internal investigation is ongoing, and Ms. Ahmadei will remain suspended until its conclusion
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