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Original poster

Mothers of abandoned babies

29 replies

Pico2 · 22/04/2015 16:05

I've just seen the news that the mother of the baby abandoned in an arcade has been charged with attempted murder. Looking back at the previous news stories for the case, police urged her to get in touch as she may need urgent medical treatment and assured her that she wouldn't be in trouble. This seems to be the standard pattern for the police to take (iirc) - the plea from the police that the mother may need urgent medical care and isn't in trouble. Then they find her and charge her with something. While some women may need medical care after an unassisted birth, I'd guess that it is by no means a universal need as the woman has managed to successfully give birth. And I find the "not in any trouble" disingenuous to say the least. It almost seems like a paternalistic action.

Is it right for the police to lure vulnerable women in this way?

OP posts:
maroonedwithfour · 22/04/2015 16:13

Link please

Gobbolinothewitchscat · 22/04/2015 16:14

We don't the facts of the case though and why this particular woman was charged

I would assume that the police don't either and, at the time they make the appeals, the person isnt in any trouble.

Is the point that you think the police are lying?

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 22/04/2015 16:17

What happens the next time a baby is abandoned, and the mum does need urgent medical help, but doesn't come forward because they don't believe the police when they say "The mother needs to come forward - she is not in trouble"?

Gobbolinothewitchscat · 22/04/2015 16:20

I'm confused - so no one should ever be charged? In case it puts someone else off coming forward in future?

As I said, we don't know the particular facts of this case but something has happened that means that the police and the cps think there is a reasonable chance of a murder conviction. I don't think that can be ignored

Shakey1500 · 22/04/2015 16:22

I've always heard the "please come forward in case of medical issues" but I've never heard a "...and you won't be in any trouble" Confused

CurbsideProphet · 22/04/2015 17:17

I'm local. It's a very sad story. I didn't know she had been charged with anything.

Original poster
Pico2 · 22/04/2015 18:53

Plea for her to come forward.

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GraysAnalogy · 22/04/2015 18:54

I was talking about this today and I'm absolutely torn.

I was first disgusted that it seems like they lured her in, saying she wasn't in trouble that they just wanted to help her.

Now she's being charged.

There's obviously more to the story that we aren't privvy too. I have read that she has 4 children and one of those was also born in a toilet Confused

Original poster
Pico2 · 22/04/2015 18:54

Now being charged.

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Joyfulldeathsquad · 22/04/2015 18:55

It's terrible if that's true.

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maroonedwithfour · 22/04/2015 19:12

I think its difficult because each case is different.

Original poster
Pico2 · 22/04/2015 19:14

I'm sure we don't know everything about the case. And of course we can't promise not to charge people. But it seems like a false statement to say that the mother isn't in any trouble. It would be fine to leave that bit out as it might well not prove to be true.

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Devora · 22/04/2015 19:15

They may have uncovered new information between the first statement and the charging.

Joyfulldeathsquad · 22/04/2015 19:16

I'm stuck on the Birmingham baby as the mother tried to conceal her. She didn't want her found. I think naming her after the dog is awful. It's its not enough to deal with knowing her mother found her a quick internet search will also tell her she was named after a sodding dog.

The mother who left the baby in the arcade knew there was good chance of her being picked up.

I think every case has to be dealt with individually but it worries me that charging the mothers publicly will lead to other women going that little bit further to abandon their babies with out any cime back Sad

maroonedwithfour · 22/04/2015 19:17

Oh I don't know, if they don't say it then would any mothers vome forward?

GraysAnalogy · 22/04/2015 19:24

I think part of the issue was with how the baby was left, apparently with it's head in the toilet

TheatreClog · 22/04/2015 19:29

there's a difference in those cases though surely? I don't think any of them should be sentenced particularly, but consider a mother leaving child hidden in a bag in a bush where no one could see her, where she could be eaten by wild animals, and a mother leaving a child very visibly in a place with very high footfall? only the former potentially has mens rea for attempted murder, I would say, or neither of them depending on the state of mind of the mother as she left the child in a bush.
It's all very sad, and seems quite abhorrent and incomprehensible, but that just shows in what a bad place these women must have been to have done this and I don't think prosecuting them will achieve any objectives or deter others. I think there should be baby postboxes, with no repercussions.

TheatreClog · 22/04/2015 19:31

Ah just seen GraysAnalogy's post
well that would explain a charge (however, surely it would be attempted infanticide, and they'd get off)
I still think this country has a terrible system for supporting vulnerable mothers

Redglitter · 22/04/2015 19:36

The second report only days they want to trace the mother nothing about her 'not being in trouble'

GraysAnalogy · 22/04/2015 19:38

I distinctly remember reading a quote that stated she 'was not in trouble'.

I'm not sure what news site that was.

Original poster
Pico2 · 22/04/2015 20:15

The second one says they want to "support" the mother. Charging her with something isn't what one might think of when offered "support".

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Redglitter · 22/04/2015 22:14

These comments are made within a short space of time from the baby being found. at that point their priority will be to trace her and see she's OK. We don't know what the subsequent investigation has uncovered their hand has very possibly been forced with new evidence

Original poster
Pico2 · 22/04/2015 22:52

I think my concern is what SGDT has suggested. That trust in the police can be undermined and women needing medical help may not come forward in future as they have seen reassurances being broken. Though I concede that women in this position might not be systematically googling similar cases.

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saoirse31 · 23/04/2015 18:24

Also, maybe knowing some mothers have been charmed for abandoning babies in da gerous situations may lead to that happening less...