A woman who gave birth in secret, and perhaps subsequently be guilty of infanticide, could until 1930 be sentenced to hard labor for life.

In former times, it was a great shame to have a child out of wedlock. It was an even greater misfortune if the father of the child was unknown. In that situation, some women chose to give birth in secret - a concealment of birth.

It was not uncommon that a woman, who gave birth in secret, killed the baby immediately after birth. The most common methods of killing were strangulation, drowning or pure passivity.

Until 1930, women who had given birth in secret and / or committed infanticide, could be sentenced to imprisonment with hard labour for life.

Today, the maximum penalties for birth in secret (in the form of giving birth without professional assistance) is imprisonment for up to 1 year, while the penalty for murder is up to 4 years in prison. The very few cases of someone giving birth in secret usually ends with the abandonment of reprimand or a conditional sentence.