Woman walks free after pleading guilty to killing baby daughter

Sofina Nikat will not serve any jail time for killing her baby girl after a 12-month community corrections order was handed down in court today.

Nikat pleaded guilty to the crime of killing 15-month-old Sanaya by smothering her and throwing her into the Darebin Creek in April 2016.

The 24-year-old was originally charged with murder which was downgraded after she was diagnosed with depression.

At the time, Nikat told police a barefoot man of African appearance who smelled of alcohol had snatched Sanaya from her pram.

The girl’s body was found in a creek and Nikat confessed three days later.

The maximum jail term for infanticide is five years.

Today Justice Lex Lasry said he decided against a jail term because Nikat has already served 529 days on remand.

3AW reporter Mark O’Brien told Neil Mitchell the father and grandfather of the child were so emotional they could not come to court today.

Click PLAY below to hear Mark’s report

“To my mind, no sane person murders a child,” Neil said.

“There is evidence that she was not capable of rational thought at the time.”