PHNOM PENH: Interior Ministry's General Department of Prisons is conducting investigations into the death of a five-month-old baby, who had been living with her mother at the Correctional Centre II (Prey Sar Prison).
Human rights non-governmental organisation Licadho had earlier issued a request for prison authorities to take action over the death and its potential connection to prisoner maltreatment and operational inadequacies.
The baby died on Jan 26 at the Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital here.
A statement by Licadho said on Jan 18, the baby suffered a thigh fracture and prison medical staff examined her and sent her and her mother to the Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital.
Licadho said the death highlighted the need for authorities to prioritise provisional bail for women with small children.
"She was not given a defence lawyer, nor did she know she had the right to apply for bail. She was eight months pregnant when she was sent to prison.
"We call on the authorities to take immediate steps to ensure that this never happens again," Licadho said.
Reports here said an X-ray found that the baby had broken a thigh bone.
The baby and mother were then admitted to the National Paediatric Hospital because the Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital had no specialists to treat a patient of that age.
The National Paediatric Hospital then treated the injured baby and sent her back to Correctional Centre II, despite prison staff asking for the child and her mother to stay overnight to monitor their condition.
By the morning of Jan 26, the child was experiencing breathing difficulty and was taken to the emergency room, where doctors tried to save the child but failed.
An autopsy revealed that the child died of pneumonia and severe malnutrition.
Department of Prisons spokesman Nuth Savna told The Phnom Penh Post that the department was investigating whether the baby's death was caused by a lack of care, inappropriate living conditions, or whether the hospital was at fault.
He said the General Department of Prisons was sorry about the death and acknowledged the lack of care and monitoring of the baby's condition by prison officials and doctors.
Licadho also asked the director-general of the prison to question all eligible detainees whether they wished to be released on bail pending trial, especially in the case of vulnerable detainees, such as women with small children.
"Priority should be given to bail hearings of vulnerable prisoners, such as pregnant women and women with small children, so that they do not need to be held temporarily and without a specific time limit," it said.
Savna said some of Licadho's requests were implemented by the General Department of Prisons.
While others were beyond its jurisdiction, it did not mean they were ignored, he said.
He added that vulnerable detainees are a priority for the General Department of Prisons.
However, Correction Centre II is difficult to manage because of the large number of detainees, small staff strength and infrastructure inadequacies.