Dead baby found in polluted river

JAKARTA (JP): A newborn girl was found dead on top of a floating mass of garbage in the middle of Kali Grogol canal near Jl. Pakembangan in Palmerah, West Jakarta, yesterday afternoon.

The body had been forced headfirst into a cookie tin, which was 15 centimeters in diameter and 16 centimeters high. Fresh blood covered the whole body.

Three boys playing in the canal found the body at about 2 p.m.

A pair of women's bloodstained underpants were found at the bottom of the cookie tin, eyewitnesses, mostly drivers of rental trucks parked near the canal, told The Jakarta Post.

"It was a healthy baby girl, indeed," said eyewitness Adi, who accompanied police officers in taking the body to Palmerah police subprecinct.

"There's no wounds on her body but there was a blue mark along her neck, probably from having her head forcibly put inside the tin," said Adi.

Adi and his friends said they did not see anyone throw anything into the canal and knew nothing about the newborn until the three boys yelled for help.

"In the beginning, I thought the boys were only joking because I heard them early yelling kaki monyet, kaki monyet (monkey's legs, monkey's legs)," said Yono, another driver.

The floating mass of garbage was about five meters from Jl. Palmerah Barat, a crowded street in the area.

A two-meter-iron fence stands along each side of the canal.

At least two people hired by the city administration to clean the canal were also at the site yesterday. (bsr)