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'Fear' over safety boxes for abandoned babies in UK as mum dumps three siblings

05 June 2024 , 14:22
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A baby box on the side of Indiana fire station (Image: CBS NEWS)
A baby box on the side of Indiana fire station (Image: CBS NEWS)

Installed to the walls of hospitals and fire stations across the US are postal hatches - but they're not for ordinary parcels, they're specifically designed for abandoned babies.

The boxes are fitted with temperature regulators and sensors, so that when a newborn is secretly placed inside, a silent alarm goes off, alerting the emergency services. The controversial measure has been implemented across several countries, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Poland, with the aim of helping desperate and vulnerable women, and saving the lives of babies.

There have been previous calls to see a similar system introduced in the UK, and the latest news on abandoned baby Elsa has brought the debate to the forefront again. Clinical psychologist, Dr Jo Mueller, who specialises in working with parents and has carried out research on abandoned babies, says there are several advantages of the boxes. But there is a dark concern that the system could encourage a surge in struggling parents dumping their children before seeking support elsewhere.

'Fear' over safety boxes for abandoned babies in UK as mum dumps three siblings erideuiqtziqxkprwA baby hatch with the words Window of LIfe is seen on Hoza street in Warsaw, Poland (NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Baby Elsa was found in freezing temperatures in East Ham on the night of January 18 this year. It is believed she was an hour old when she was found by a dog walker, wrapped in a towel in a reusable shopping bag with her umbilical cord still attached. This week it was confirmed that she is the younger sister of two other babies abandoned by the same parents in previous years.

Baby Harry was found on September 17, 2017, at Plaistow Park, Balaam Street and on January 31, 2019, while the middle sister, named by officials as baby Roman, had been left at Roman Road playing fields. Dr Mueller told the Mirror that it is 'extremely rare' for babies to be abandoned in the UK, echoing comments made by the most senior judge of East London Family Court, Carol Atkinson.

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As DNA evidence was presented in court referring to the children, the judge said: "Abandonment of a baby in this country is a very, very unusual event," before adding that the fact the siblings were found in similar circumstances years apart is "of enormous interest" in "our current society". While we do not have information about the parents, the BBC and PA Media were given special permission by the court to report the sibling link and that the children are Black.

Priscilla Pruitt, of Safe Haven Baby Boxes - a campaign group that has pushed for the introduction of the boxes across the US - insisted: "They are a last resort." Speaking to the BBC, she said they were needed to combat infanticide when vulnerable mothers give birth alone.

'Fear' over safety boxes for abandoned babies in UK as mum dumps three siblingsBaby Roman, the older sister of recently found Baby Elsa (PA)
'Fear' over safety boxes for abandoned babies in UK as mum dumps three siblingsClinical psychologist, Dr Jo Mueller (supplied)

Speaking about the initiative, Dr Mueller, who provides psychological support for parents with her business, highlighted that there is not enough clear evidence of the benefits. "I think the fear is that providing that makes it more likely that people might do it," she explained. "I think there needs to be clear research showing whether that's true or not.

"But it's obviously better for the safety of the baby. And, it makes it clear that there will be no repercussions. It creates more of a process and it's helpful for services as well to be able to plan.

"It is certainly helpful psychologically in terms of trauma and anxiety. But we don't know what our process should look like in the UK." In the recent case of Baby Elsa, the Met Police said it was up to the court whether the sibling link should be reported by the media, but they told the court they did not wish to "inadvertently promote or encourage struggling mothers to abandon unwanted babies in public spaces," the BBC reports.

It is illegal to abandon a baby in the UK, however in the absence of national policy or comprehensive data, Dr Mueller's study, published by the University College London, found the phenomenon is poorly understood. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) only published data until 2015, which showed no babies were registered as abandoned for the previous three years. There was just one logged as abandoned in 2011.

'Fear' over safety boxes for abandoned babies in UK as mum dumps three siblingsBaby Elsa was found at the junction of Greenway and High Street South in East London (Daily Mirror, Daily Express, Daily Star)

However the expert's study in 2009, covering the period 1998-2005, suggested an average of 16 babies were abandoned yearly. They looked at the statistics to try and figure out how often it was actually happening in the UK, matching up media reports, crime statistics and the child register.

"It is a crime but it is often not well recorded because parents aren't found," the doctor explained. "But from a psychological perspective, we're not often thinking of parents abandoning their babies as criminals." She added: "I think that's the reason why there aren't any clear policies around what should happen when it happens.

"There aren't systematic processes because it's so rare that it's not seen as sort of urgent to create a pathway. Police may record the data, but a large proportion of the parents are never found." Through systematic coding of media reports, 124 babies were identified over a seven-year period.

Of these, 96 (77.4%) were newborns (<1 week old) and 28 (22.6%) were older babies (>1 week old). Most babies (74%) were abandoned outdoors and only 9.7% were left with a memento. Few mothers, almost exclusively those of older babies, were found (37.1%). Of those found, 92% were located within 3 days of abandoning their baby.

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On whether the act should be decriminalised, Dr Mueller responded: "Because the cases are all so different, it's really trick to say. You might have reasons and the circumstances for one, but they could be so different from another parent abandoning a child. It's a really, really tricky one.

"My gut feeling is we would want parents to not feel they were under any kind of threat in order to preserve the safety of the children. But it's pretty tricky from a legal standpoint I think to kind of do a blanket rule."

She says from her research and experience, parents found to have abandoned their children are likely to suffer from mental health issues. The 40-year-old, from Tunbridge Wells, continued: "It's quite likely that these mothers are traumatised, marginalised, and potentially suffering from mental health difficulties.

"Potentially these people may be refugees, people who've got unstable housing situations. They may be worried about coming into contact with services because of the repercussions of that, if they aren't here legally, potentially."

Saffron Otter

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