Woman arrested for pit latrine baby dumping

A woman (37) was arrested after allegedly dumping a newborn boy in a pit latrine at Okafitu ka Kahala village at Outapi on Sunday.

Omusati police commander commissioner Ismael Basson says the incident took place at around 10h00.

“The suspect, who is a domestic worker, gave birth to a boy, wrapped the baby in a cloth, and dumped him in a pit latrine,” he says.

Basson says the case is being investigated as one of murder and defeating or obstructing the course of justice.

“The suspect has already been arrested and admitted to hospital,” he says.

Earlier last month, The Namibian reported on concerns around the topic after the arrest of a woman (36) who allegedly left her newborn at a church at Omingwelume in the Ohangwena region.

Namibia moved to decriminalise baby dumping under certain conditions in 2019 in an effort to discourage the unsafe abandonment of babies and to encourage mothers in distress to look for safer alternatives.

At the time, the government announced that mothers would not be prosecuted if they left newborn babies at designated safe places such as hospitals, police stations and registered places of safety, provided the child was unharmed.

The Child Care and Protection Act provides that a caregiver should not be prosecuted if a child is left in the care of a responsible person or at an approved place of safety.

The law was introduced to protect children while also encouraging vulnerable mothers to avoid abandoning infants in dangerous places such as dump sites or bushes.

Gender and social justice activist Rosa Namises has previously said more consideration should be given to the circumstances under which mothers leave their babies.

She said issues such as a lack of support, violence, rape, financial hardship and possible postpartum depression should be taken into account.

“We usually forget that women may have postpartum depression. If it is a newborn baby, then that is also a possibility,” Namises said at the time.

Ministry of gender equality and child welfare spokesperson Lucas Haufiku says the law sets out specific conditions under which a child may be lawfully relinquished without constituting an offence.

Popular Democratic Movement shadow minister Lilian Luthuezi has called for greater public awareness of safe haven provisions, as well as improved access to social workers, shelters and contraceptives to support vulnerable mothers.

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