Infanticide cases on the rise

Dumping of new born infants in public places such as in dustbins, drains and in shrubs by mothers have become a common practice these days owing mostly to the increase in the number of illegitimate pregnancies hitherto not witnessed before. Obviously mothers resort to this heinous crime for various reasons. Children born out of wedlock are shunned in our society.

Mothers too are aware of the stigma attached giving birth to fatherless children.

In a recent case where a three-day-old infant was found in a shrub behind a tourist hotel in Matara is a case in point, Police Media Spokesman SP, Ajith Rohana told the Sunday Observer.

The infant (male) was found alive when the police was called in last Tuesday (March 27) following a tip-off. “It was a miracle how the infant survived, without the mother’s milk for three days.

In fact, parts of the infant’s body had been bitten by a swarm of ants. The infant was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Matara Hospital and is recovering steadily,” police said.

Inquiries have revealed that the mother had dumped the infant in a shrub soon after giving birth and decamped thereafter. Police are trying to trace the missing woman. In a separate incident at Menikhinna, police arrested a mother who had strangled her newborn infant last December.

Burying

A case reported to the Valachchenai police last January revealed that a mother was taken into custody for burying her new born infant.

Another incident reported to the Samanthurai police January this year reveal that a woman was arrested for burying her newborn infant. Eight years ago garbage collectors found a body of an infant at a garbage dump at Tissamaharamaya. Tissamaharama police conducted the investigation.

In 2010, a day-old-infant was found alive in a toilet pit at Ratnapura. During the same period police found a day-old-infant dumped on the Maskeliya-Norton Bridge Road. Police admitted the child to Maskeliya Hospital. According to hospital sources the infant had survived the ordeal and was in perfect health.

In Kuwait last year police arrested an unidentified Sri Lankan woman who had abandoned her newborn baby in front of a building. Police acting on information rushed to the spot and referred the toddler to a hospital. During interrogation at a police station the woman admitted to having an illicit affair with a man.According to SP Rohana a survey carried out by the police has revealed that mothers commit infanticide or abandon their newborn infants for following reasons: (A) Pregnancies of unmarried woman who are ashamed to face society. (2) Women who are unable to bring up children due to extreme poverty. (3) For any other reasons that cause embarrassment to the women concerned.

A few months ago a case was reported to the Kalutara police where a woman threw her baby to the Kalu Ganga near the Kalutara Bo tree.

The Media Spokesman said that solutions are available to mothers in distress who face a crisis situation of giving birth to children out of wedlock.

“It is a fallacy to assume that women cannot face society after giving birth to illegitimate children.

Advice

There are opportunities available now for women who seek advice and guidance from governmental and non governmental organisations such as the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA), Bureau for the Prevention of Abuse of Children and Women of the police department and Non Governmental Organisations (NGO)”.

Pregnant women have the opportunity of seeking advice from such organisations to overcome social problems.Following the amendment of the Penal Code of Sri Lanka in 1995, it became an offence under section 368 A to inflict any harm on children. Upon conviction in a court of law such offenders can be sentenced from 2-12 years with rigorous imprisonment. Under Section 71 of the Children and Young Persons Ordinance a case can be filed in respect of such offences. Likewise under Section 300 of the Sri Lanka Penal Code it is an offence to abandon children with the idea of endangering their lives.

Upon conviction in a court of law, a person can be sent to 20 years of rigourous imprisonment.

“Whatever the legal provisions may be, mothers should refrain from committing heinous crime such as killing newly born infants or abandoning them in public places.” the spokesman said.

Statistics show that 206 children were abandoned by their mothers in 2011 and 26 children alone had been abandoned in January 2012. Abandoned children have been defined as children who are not adequately cared for by their families, relatives, friends nor governmental or social agencies.

These children fall into the category of physically neglected, and ignored ones which is a serious social problem.