Newborn Abandoned in a Bag Outside a Church in Rose-Hill: Mother and Brother Arrested
A newborn was abandoned in a bag in front of St. Joseph's Church in Rose-Hill, leading to the arrest of the child's 29-year-old mother and her 19-year-old brother. The incident occurred on Thursday, December 18, when the baby was found by church sisters and a local resident after a night prayer session. The baby has since been taken into care by the Child Development Unit (CDU) and is currently being treated in hospital.
On Monday, December 22, both the mother from Dagotière and her brother will face court charges for 'Abandoning a newborn' and 'Aiding and abetting in the commission of a crime,' respectively. According to police reports, the mother transported the baby from Dagotière to Rose-Hill in a cooler bag on a motorcycle driven by her brother.
The Divisional Crime Intelligence Unit (DCIU) managed to identify the suspects through a combination of surveillance footage and field checks conducted over three days. They noted the motorcycle's registration number near the church and later identified the suspects from CCTV images, although initial identification was challenging.
When the mother was apprehended at her home, she was informed she needed to accompany the police for questioning. During transport, she revealed her financial struggles in raising her other two children and mentioned that her partner was constantly reminding her that he was not the father of the newborn. "Financially, it is not easy for me to care for this child," she told the police.
The 19-year-old brother, who works at a fish shop, was arrested a few hours later and denied any involvement, claiming his sister had only asked him to take her to the church to deliver a package without knowing it was the baby.
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Welfare is closely monitoring the case. Sources indicate that the infant is in good health, having undergone several medical examinations, and is currently admitted to PMOC Hospital in Candos.
The Foster Care Division has begun procedures to place the baby in a foster home, which includes selection based on psychological reports and evaluations of potential families. However, the mother will have the opportunity to reclaim her child once the police investigation and administrative processes are completed.
