In a case that has sent shockwaves across the nation, a woman who orchestrated a horrifying and calculated attack to steal an unborn child has been handed a life sentence. Claudenia Gama, 28, was sentenced at the Old Bailey for her role in a crime of unimaginable brutality.
Gama, who had deceitfully faked a pregnancy to her own family, lured her unsuspecting victim through a popular online marketplace. Posing as a genuine buyer for baby clothes, she gained the trust of the pregnant woman before launching a vicious assault in her London flat.
A Premeditated and Savage Attack
The court heard how the attack was meticulously planned. Gama arrived at the victim's home armed with a 'rape kit' containing cable ties, tape, and a knife. In a sustained and violent onslaught, she strangled the mother-to-be with the cord of a dressing gown until she lost consciousness.
Believing her victim to be dead, Gama then performed a crude and agonising caesarean section with a knife, forcibly removing the baby from the womb. She fled the scene with the newborn, leaving the mother for dead in a pool of blood.
A Miraculous Survival and a Child Recovered
Miraculously, the victim regained consciousness and managed to raise the alarm. Her desperate cries for help were heard by neighbours, who immediately called emergency services. She was rushed to hospital for life-saving surgery.
Meanwhile, Gama presented the blood-stained baby to her own family as her own, claiming she had just given birth. Her ruse was short-lived. Quick-thinking police officers, alerted to the horrific crime, tracked Gama down within hours. The baby boy was found safe and, after a period of medical care, was joyfully reunited with his incredibly resilient mother.
Justice Delivered at the Old Bailey
Judge Mark Lucraft KC presided over the sentencing, describing the offence as "a brutal and savage attack of a kind which is almost entirely unknown." He highlighted the significant psychological harm inflicted on the victim, who continues to recover from the immense trauma.
Claudenia Gama was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 18 years after pleading guilty to attempted murder and child abduction. Her accomplice, a 40-year-old man who assisted in planning the attack, was also jailed for 10 years for his part in the gruesome plot.
