Newborn found in smouldering dumpster
4 March 2010, 08:16
By Karabo Seanego
Commuters at Mabopane station had a gruesome start to the day when they spotted a newborn baby in a smouldering dumpster.
The baby girl was surrounded by bloodstained papers.
Commuters alerted security guards who rushed to the scene. One of the security guards, Francina Moshebi, covered the baby after she saw people taking pictures with their cellphones.
Police spokesman Inspector Llifi Ramatlo said when commuters found the baby she was still alive but when they got to the scene with paramedics, the baby had died.
"People said they saw the baby moving but when we got there with paramedics it was too late. The refuse bin was smouldering and this could have killed her," he said.
A police officer on the scene said it seemed as though the baby was thrown in the bin shortly after the mother had given birth "because of the blood-soaked papers, we suspect she might have given birth on the street and dumped her", he said.
Commuters said they could not believe how anyone could be so heartless and do such a thing to an innocent baby.
"How can a mother do something like this? It is just inhumane to know that a woman could do such a thing," said one commuter.
Ramatlo said they deal with about seven cases a year where children are dumped in rubbish bins and toilets. Only a few are alive.
"In most cases we respond to we find the child is dead. Only two were found alive last year, one in a toilet in Winterveld," he said.
There were only a few arrests because people from as far as Hammanskraal came to Mabopane station and this proved to be a problem when they tried to find people.
"Most of the time we liaise with community members to tell us who was pregnant," Ramatlo said.
The umbilical cord was still attached which showed that the mother had recently given birth.
Police said a case has been opened at the Loate police station.
"We have opened a murder case against the mother but no arrests have been made so far.
"We are still investigating the matter," he said.
A police officer looks at the scene where a newborn was found in a railway station dumpster.
Commuters at Mabopane station had a gruesome start to the day when they spotted a newborn baby in a smouldering dumpster.
The baby girl was surrounded by bloodstained papers.
Commuters alerted security guards who rushed to the scene. One of the security guards, Francina Moshebi, covered the baby after she saw people taking pictures with their cellphones.
Police spokesman Inspector Llifi Ramatlo said when commuters found the baby she was still alive but when they got to the scene with paramedics, the baby had died.
"People said they saw the baby moving but when we got there with paramedics it was too late. The refuse bin was smouldering and this could have killed her," he said.
A police officer on the scene said it seemed as though the baby was thrown in the bin shortly after the mother had given birth "because of the blood-soaked papers, we suspect she might have given birth on the street and dumped her", he said.
Commuters said they could not believe how anyone could be so heartless and do such a thing to an innocent baby.
"How can a mother do something like this? It is just inhumane to know that a woman could do such a thing," said one commuter.
Ramatlo said they deal with about seven cases a year where children are dumped in rubbish bins and toilets. Only a few are alive.
"In most cases we respond to we find the child is dead. Only two were found alive last year, one in a toilet in Winterveld," he said.
There were only a few arrests because people from as far as Hammanskraal came to Mabopane station and this proved to be a problem when they tried to find people.
"Most of the time we liaise with community members to tell us who was pregnant," Ramatlo said.
The umbilical cord was still attached which showed that the mother had recently given birth.
Police said a case has been opened at the Loate police station.
"We have opened a murder case against the mother but no arrests have been made so far.
"We are still investigating the matter," he said.
A police officer looks at the scene where a newborn was found in a railway station dumpster.
- This article was originally published on page 3 of The Pretoria News on March 04, 2010
Pretoria
