Newborn abandoned in Depok

JAKARTA (JP): The body of a newborn, abandoned by its mother, was found yesterday in a mineral water carton at a soccer field in Depok Timur, Bogor.

The case was reported to the nearby police subprecinct and the baby's body was sent to the Cipto Mangunkusumo hospital's morgue, Central Jakarta.

The head of the morgue, Mardiyono, said police believed the baby was still alive when abandoned and died later due to an absence of treatment.

He said the baby's death was the fifth case of abandonment reported to the morgue in the last seven days.

Four other babies were sent by police from Cilincing, North Jakarta; Kramat Raya, Central Jakarta; and Setiabudi, South Jakarta.

"All abandoned babies were sent here not by their parents or their relatives," he said. "The parents were believed to dump the babies during the night, when people were unaware of what they were doing."

"Unidentified bodies sent to us will normally be kept at the morgue for two weeks before being buried, but babies were buried two or three days after their arrival.

"We've learnt that their parents or relatives won't pick them up."

The babies were usually abandoned because they were born out of wedlock or their parents were too poor to raise them. (04)