Officials say they may return abandoned baby to mother

The Department of Social Services has not ruled out returning a newborn baby, who was abandoned over the weekend, to his mother, if she is located, according to Minister of Social Services Frankie Campbell.

“We haven’t located the mother as yet and we are still waiting on the Public Hospitals Authority to officially transfer care to us,” Campbell told reporters outside the House of Assembly yesterday.

“As I would’ve indicated, the baby will be in our care as a ward of the state. If the mother is located and gets the necessary medical attention, there’s no reason why she ought not to be able to claim her baby aside from whatever the other agencies may be concerned about.

“But, we’re usually concerned about children being with their parents. We’re usually concerned about what’s best for the child and that is what we will do in the case of this child.”

He said his ministry is “never concerned about the legal action and that is why I spoke about what other agencies may or may not do”.

Campbell said the ministry’s “primary concern” is for the best interest of the child.

“We usually believe that rests with the biological parents, unless there is some circumstance to suggest otherwise,” he said.

When asked if police will charge the mother if she is found, ASP Audley Peters told The Nassau Guardian, “That would be at the discretion of the [director of public prosecutions] because of a law that relates to women having the postpartum syndrome and whether the offense will come within the realm of infanticide or whether the child died.

“The [director of public prosecutions] will make that final decision.” 

The infant, who was believed to be four days old, was discovered abandoned on Saturday morning behind a vacant home on Wilson Track. He was found with his umbilical cord still attached.

While noting that the baby was taken to the hospital for medical attention, police said they were working on locating the mother, so that she could also receive medical care.

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