‘There is no need for babies to die’
Mary Dobbie (Director of the Newcastle Crisis Centre) believes the eyes of the community need to be opened to these incidents.
A baby’s life came to a tragic end last Wednesday.
According to bystanders, a vagrant made the grisly discovery of a baby, wrapped in a soiled cloth, hidden inside a cardboard box, inside a municipal skip adjacent to businesses on Murchison Street.
Following the discovery of the deceased dumped baby, many readers were distraught.
Yet the frequency of similar cases and in some instances among residents, total indifference, Mary Dobbie (Director of the Newcastle Crisis Centre) believes these harrowing stories need to be told.
She believes the eyes of the community need to be opened to these incidents.
“I can understand a young girl who is pregnant and maybe doesn’t have the money to raise a child, but we have the Pregnancy Crisis Centre, Child Welfare, the Crisis Centre and more institutions which can help in Newcastle.”
Speaking on the Murchison Street incident specifically, Dobbie can only speculate. What concerns her is how these kinds of cases seem to be on the increase, yet there are so many positive stories of abandoned children, who achieve great success in life despite their circumstances.
“There is no need for children and babies to die needlessly.”
Another question she has, is for those who know the mother.
Dobbie is certain someone must have known she was pregnant and asks why someone has not asked her where the child is and reported the matter to the police. Otherwise, it remains difficult to trace the mother’s whereabouts.
“It’s harder to find people in the CBD compared to township areas. In the township, someone would know something and we could find the mother easier.”
This leads Dobbie to believe the mother must have thought hard about her decision, but still asks herself what kind of person could be so cold.
“The Crisis Centre is open 24-7. Rather ring the bell and leave the baby at our door if you’re scared.”
Farieda Mia of Child Welfare SA Newcastle says the organisation is concerned at the increase of babies being dumped, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal.
She notes the mother is still at large and still unaccountable for her actions.
“We believe there has to be concerted effort made by the clinics, hospitals, faith-based organisations and social service providers to educate the community on services available, to avoid this tragic action being taken,” she concludes.
ALSO READ: Dumped baby found in CBD
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