Abandoned 'graveyard' baby goes to SOS
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Tuesday August 16, 2022 06:00
SOS Children’s Villages is the world’s largest organisation caring for children who have lost both their parents or been abandoned.
The then four-month-old baby girl who was found by mourners at Mengwe graveyard has been in the custody of the police through the help of the social service at Tutume Primary Hospital for the last two months.
Furthermore, the mourners who had gone for the June 11 burial had found the baby wrapped in a small blanket at the graveyard. The mourners were alarmed by the baby’s cries from a nearby bush.
Tutume Police Station Commander, Superintendent Jerry Halahala told The Monitor that they have taken the toddler to SOS for her upbringing. He said a decision was taken to transfer the child, now six-months-old to SOS after they failed to locate the baby’s mother, family, or relatives.
This is the second baby to be taken to a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) in Tutume and Francistown policing areas since the beginning of the year. Three months back, Francistown police revealed that the dumped newborn who has been in their care was also taken to an NGO.
Francistown police launched a search five months ago for the mother, family, or relatives of the newborn who was found at Ntshe on March 8. The search for the two babies' parents and families, however, continues. If found the mothers are likely to be charged with child negligence or attempted murder.