Hour old newborn abandoned

[SerendipityJane]

Hour old newborn abandoned in this weather. I have no words, only tears.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-68025769

Clearly this is a tragic incident but I always question the massive media coverage of cases like this. Do we really need to know the manner in which a baby was abandoned. All that needs to be relayed in this incident is that the baby is in fact fine.

The real worries for are the physical / mental health and safety of the mother and the future of them both. All this handwringing and media hyperbole don’t positively impact either of those.

So lucky the baby was found so quickly, it’s so cold. Hope the mother is okay too and seeks help.

In Poland there are boxes like that
Usually near monasteries,
They are called “window of life” someone gets alerted when baby is put in. It’s a safe way to help mother in distress who wants to remain incognito

Or a young teenager.

That poor mother. I cannot imagine the pressure she must have been under, the desperation she must have felt to abandon a baby in this weather.

Thank goodness the baby was found in time.

I hope the mother is able to quietly go to a local hospital and get checked over. There is no question of her being prosecuted. She needs care and support, not censure.

well, not likely a woman, definitely a woman. You’re not getting male mothers.

Please don’t rule out the possibility that it may have been a girl, a child.
A terrified child.

Or a child.
I don't think anyone was saying 'likely a woman' in case it happens to be a man ffs.

Thinking of the two vulnerable humans in this story. I'm glad the baby was found.

My first thought was that the mother might be in an abusive situation. It's possible abandoning the baby was not her choice. I hope they're all ok.

Poor baby and poor mother. She must be in such turmoil to do this. Imagine giving birth and leaving your baby an hour later. I hope she's found and gets the help and support she needs. So sad for all concerned.

I cried also, driving home from my first day back to work from mat leave. Why feel the need to poke at someone expressing emotion at this very sad situation.

The problem with being able to drop your baby off at a Police/Fire Station or Hospital is that you won't be able to do it incognito. Your picture will be on the CCTV cameras, there may be workers who recognise you, etc. You are also likely to be asked questions. If you have given birth, you are unlikely to be able to travel hundreds of miles away to try and not be recognised.

It's a shame that the mother felt desperate enough to abandon her child. Even with the best help/safeguards there will always be someone who falls through the net.

I know we don't know the circumstances but I can't help but feel anger towards the mother, if she's found, she should eventually be charged with child abandonment, neglect and attempted murder for what she did. I hope she never forgives herself. Luckily the baby girl was found in time and is now safe

@GTsundaydriver you do not know the mental health of this vulnerable mother. That is a cruel thing to say. The baby is safe. The mother is potentially unsafe.

Has anyone noticed that the babies in Newham are being abandoned and they are roughly timed a year apart. I really hope this is a child who is being systematically abused then abandoning her children and no one has noticed.

The mother could be someone in complete denial that she was pregnant, didn’t know she was pregnant or a schoolgirl who had no one to confide in.

Hopefully she can seek medical help without judgement.

Hoping she goes to hell would be cruel, hoping she's charged with a crime is not cruel, it's within the realms of a normal reaction to a baby nearly dying.

Wow you sound nice.

Compassion much? Ffs.

I think you are being a bit harsh we don't know the circumstances if this is a woman or a girl.it could be from prolonged sexual abuse.what is mors important now is this person gets the medical attention they need and mental health support if applicable.

I think it's far too early to be judgmental but I get emotions will be running high as most of us here are parents.right now my concern is there is someone out there feeling alone and scared in need of help.

Thank goodness the little girl is ok.

Hopefully the police and the CPS would have enough sense to realise that a prosecution for any of those offences would be pointless if any of the possible scenarios for the mother are accurate. The mother needs help and support, rather than to be criminalised.

Oh,that poor mother. I hope she gets the help she needs and gets out of whatever situation she is in that led to this.

The mother could be a child for all we know. Clearly an awful situation all around.

I don't know if you've got kids or not but there are plenty of girls who would be beaten or worse for a pregnancy out of marriage.

Obviously we dont know the circumstances but it's entirely possible this was a young and very frightened woman who acted out of fear.

It might of course be a heartless fiend who chose to put her baby's life at risk for shots shits and giggles, in which case throw the book at her. But these incidents are usually a case of a vulnerable woman who cannot think her way out of what she perceives to be an awful situation she can't escape from.

I'd perhaps exercise a little modification of your ire.

Just for now, at least.

I assume you mean hope it isn’t someone being systematically abused. It is a bit odd I wonder if they do DNA testing on abandoned babies (maybe they have to to stop any old person claiming them) and if they compare to other abandoned babies.

I saw a reel on my instagram feed of a man and woman who had somehow found each other and discovered they were siblings after both being abandoned as children by the same mother.

Take your judgement elsewhere. Newham is a very deprived London borough with some very complicated cultural issues. Thankfully the baby seems safe, let us just hope the mother is safe and cared for.