A member of a security company feeds a baby, who was dumped, with a bottle. The mother of the baby that was abandoned in Dawncrest allegedly handed herself over to the police. Picture: Reaction Unit South Africa
Durban - Baby Savers SA, an organisation that provides a safe alternative to unsafe baby abandonment, says attention needs to be drawn to the plight of mothers in crisis and their babies.
The organisation says it will be attending the court appearance on Thursday of a mother who abandoned her baby in Verulam, north of Durban last month.
The 23-year-old mother abandoned her 3-month-old baby by a stream.
“She handed herself over to police three days after leaving her baby with a heart-wrenching note, which cites systemic failures as the reason for her decision,” said Whitney Rosenberg of Baby Savers SA.
The note stated that social workers failed to assist her in time and claimed that she was left with no choice.
“South Africa needs to legislate safe haven laws as a matter of urgency. There are far too many babies being abandoned, and the sad reality is that most of them succumb to environmental exposure before they’re found,” said Rosenberg.
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