Yet another dumping of a baby has sparked the ire of the Phoenix Community Police Forum (CPF) chairman, Umesh Singh, who is calling for mothers to seek help instead of proceeding with such cruel and heinous actions.
Last week, a baby boy was found dumped in a stream at Witham
Drive in Westham. Phoenix SAPS communications officer, Cpt L Naidoo, said, “A charge of concealment of birth faces the perpetrator who dumped the fully formed baby boy with the umbilical cord still attached. A woman, discovered the baby dumped in the stream and called the police. There were no injuries noticed on the baby.”
“This is an absolute travesty the way some women are disposing of their newborns and foetuses. What would possess a mother to act so harshly against an innocent baby? Last week, in Verulam, we heard of the mother who disposed of her baby boy in the trash and he was rescued in the nick of time by Reaction Unit South Africa members after his cries were heard by a passing scrap metal collector. This baby was fortunate that he was rescued and has survived against the odds. What of those babies who are thrown out so callously? These women responsible for these cruel acts need to take responsibility for their actions. There are means to prevent unwanted pregnancy and also there are organisations that can assist with counselling in such situations and with the care of the newborn thereafter,” said Singh.
“We cannot turn a blind eye to this atrocity of dumping babies. It needs to stop and women and girls need to be educated about this vile deed,” Singh added.
RUSA head, Prem Balram, spoke out against the baby dumping incident which has grabbed headlines and plunged the mother into a media frenzy. The Verulam resident, 31-year-old, Jeneve Venkatido, was apprehended by RUSA members and handed over to Verulam police shortly after disposing of her baby with the weekly rubbish. She appeared in court and was granted bail of R1, 000.
Venkatido faces charges of Attempted Murder and Child Abandonment. “The one aspect that stands out for me personally within that entire incident, is that the little baby boy could have been incinerated by the bin truck had he not been rescued in time. He cheated death and survived.
The dumping of foetuses and babies in the North Coast area covered by Reaction Unit South Africa occurs frequently, almost on a weekly basis. It is a grisly and heartbreaking sight to view the dumped little bodies. More often than not the babies are deceased. It is a heinous practice that must be halted,” said Balram.
“This little Verulam baby has received a barrage of offers for his adoption from across the globe. Other babies are not so fortunate. In this instance, we lean on the law to ensure that justice is served and a little boy is afforded the opportunity to live a fulfilling life,” Balram added.
“The father of the baby has been identified, however, his involvement in the newborn’s life is unconfirmed at this stage. RUSA members have received several anonymous phone calls from family members of the suspect following her arrest. The telephonic calls have been an attempt to intimidate Reaction Officers for taking a stand against the inhumane actions of the mother,” said Balram.
