Newborn abandoned in Depok

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)