Appeal for safe baby abandonment
A Durban-based safe home for babies is advocating for the safe abandonment of children.
And it feels it is time our child abandonment laws are amended. Open Arms SA says desperate parents who leave their babies in a reputable safe place shouldn’t have to face criminal action.
"If a woman has no options she gets judged in every way, but if we had these laws this would stop because they could leave their babies in a safe place knowing they would be looked after", Youandi Gilian said/
On Friday, a foetus was discovered by FlySafair staff in a toilet on a plane at King Shaka International Airport. Gilain says while the facts aren’t known, they have dealt with cases like these before.
And oftentimes, they revolve around dire situations and fear.
She says the stigma associated with wanting to give up a baby needs to be addressed as well.
"This is sad because the women get judged from the moment they ask for help. On the other hand a miscarriage is something natural so if this was the case the woman on the plane may have been at the wrong place at the wrong time and was scared to ask for help", she said.