Baby Body On Beach - The naked body of a baby girl was found by two boys digging in a shallow grave on a Sydney beach, sparking debates regarding hatches where families in Australia can safely abandon their babies. The two boys were playing in the sand dunes when they encountered the baby body on beach in South Maroubra Sunday morning.
The baby body on beach was discovered about 30cm under the sand. The boys aged six and seven reportedly became traumatised of the discovery and have hence received counselling.
"The children were digging - the child was buried under about 30 centimetres of sand," said Inspector Andrew Holland of New South Wales police. "The two young children reported to their father who was nearby, who in turn contacted police."
As of the current moment, there is still no information has been about the age or length of time the baby body on beach had been buried.
"Unfortunately due to the decomposition, we can't tell (the age of the baby) at this point," Holland said,
A post-mortem will be held to determine how the baby died. On Monday, an autopsy on the baby body on beach revealed it was a girl.
Holland added that the "very small infant child" was buried naked near the edge of some sand dunes.
"Obviously everyone is upset," he said of the baby body on beach. "It's a tragic event. Something like this doesn't happen every day and it affects everyone involved."
Meanwhile, a desperate search is being conducted by investigators to find the child's parents. Police are reportedly scouring birth, deaths, hospital, marriage records, talking to mother support groups, as well as consulting with the Missing Persons Unit to locate the parents, or at least the mother of the baby body on beach.
Australian police have since urged the mother of the baby body on beach to come forward.
"Police are concerned about the welfare of the mother involved and hope she sought medical assistance," said Holland.
"Come and talk to us, seek some advice, we need to talk with you," said New South Wales state police commissioner Andrew Scipione.
He also urged anyone who might know the mother to come forward and speak to authorities.
According to Randwick Mayor Ted Seng, South Maroubra, where the baby body on beach was discovered, was one of the area's more isolated beaches. He added however that it was being patrolled by lifeguards.
"To say that I'm shocked is an understatement," said Seng said in a statement. "I cannot imagine the circumstances that lead to this tragic event."
The shocking discovery of the baby body on beach comes after a week that cyclists also found a baby at the bottom of a stormwater drain in Quakers Hill, according to Yahoo! News.
The mother of that infant has been charged with attempted murder. She has been accused of dumping the baby down the drain after giving birth and remains in custody, with her case returning to court on December 12, reports Sky News.
The two cases of abandoned babies have now sparked debate about the need for baby hatches, or so-called baby safe havens in Australia.
According to the BBC, New South Wales Police Minister Stuart Ayres said the two cases of abandoned babies have raised questions about what should be done to help families in desperate need of assistance.
"There is no doubt we find ourselves with two cases that are currently under investigation that requires us to think seriously about what we need to help families that are in crisis," said Ayres.
According to reports, countries such as China and Germany have hatches that allow families to leave their newborns where they are looked after and can be put up for adoption.
"I see that it's a solution that is not a high-tech expensive solution," said former Australian Medical Association president Andrew Pesce. "I think it's part of a whole system of things - it can't be the only solution to this problem."
Pesce added that the baby hatches would help mothers like the mother of the recent baby body on beach. Hatches would not stop every instance of abandonment but they could help mothers and babies at risk.
The recent discovery of the baby body on beach, as well as the baby on the drain a week ago may just be the beginning of abandoned infants in the area. Meanwhile, the issue is being addressed by Labor Senator Helen Polley, who has started an online petition calling for states and territories to implement baby safe havens, or baby hatches.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
