Two more newborns dumped in Jakarta

JAKARTA (JP): Two newborns have been found dead in South and East Jakarta in the past two days.

One of the infants was found floating in a river in Ulujami, Pesanggrahan district in South Jakarta, 7 a.m. yesterday, while the other was found on a vacant lot on Jl. Dermaga in Duren Sawit, East Jakarta, Wednesday.

Forensic experts at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital who examined the bodies said both were newborns and not the victims of abortion.

"They were born naturally but dumped soon after they were born," one of the experts, Bambang H.P., said.

The cause of death was not known but there were no signs of violence.

A baby boy was found in the river by a construction worker, Tarman, who lived in a makeshift house along the riverbanks, as he crossed over a bamboo bridge.

"It was still early when I went down to the river to take a pee. Then I noticed a sarong floating near the bushes."

Tarman retrieved the sarong and found the baby wrapped inside.

Kebayoran Lama Police took the body to the hospital for a postmortem examination.

Bambang said an external examination had revealed that the infant may have been dumped two days ago.

The baby's umbilical cord may have been cut by force, he said.

The other baby, a girl, was found Wednesday afternoon by an eight-year-old boy, Hendra Aji.

Hendra said he was playing on a vacant plot when he noticed lots of flies flying around an object.

When he went to investigate he saw the baby girl, who was laying face down. The umbilical cord was still intact.

"The discovery was a surprise because we still remember the recent unearthing of dozens of dumped babies and fetuses in the capital," Hendra's mother said.

"I never thought that I would see for myself such an inhumane act happening right here." (04)