Newborn found dumped in plastic bag in Krugersdorp North
A newborn baby has been found abandoned in a plastic bag in Krugersdorp North.
The community of Krugersdorp North woke up to devastating news on Thursday morning, January 5 of a newborn baby being found in a plastic bag.
According to a statement from the Krugersdorp police’s Captain Raymond Sebonyane the police received the call about the new born baby at about 09:05.
“Police received a complaint of a new born baby that was abandoned at Viljoen Street and the baby was found in a plastic bag by one of the CPF members. The baby was certified dead by Emergency Medical Services.”
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A case of concealment of birth was opened and is being investigated by Krugersdorp Police.
Social worker and founder of Just in Time Baby Sanctuary Georgina Caeteno explained that mothers are not being looked after and this could have been a last resort for the mother of the newborn.
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“The system continues to fail mothers,” she said, “the same institutions that are meant to protect and serve these young mothers are the same places that fail them.”
She further said that no mother would want to abandon their child unsafely but rather that there are circumstances that led to that decision.
Caeteno further explained the process of what pregnant women can do when they want to safely relinquish their newborn children.
“They can go to a social worker and they [the social worker] will then have to arrange that when the mother gives birth, the baby will then be taken from the mother [preferably in hospital] to an adoption centre or safe haven.”
She continued to say the sanctuary condones safe relinquishment.
CPF Sector 3 Chairperson Piet Sparks added that this was a first that he knows of, referring to the newborn being abandoned.
