Another newborn baby’s body found

Yet another child’s life came to a sad end before it could even start.

Members of the Makhado Police are looking for a mother who dumped her newborn baby in Louis Trichardt and left it to succumb to the elements. More heartbreaking is how the last remains of the unborn baby were discovered.

According to information supplied to the newspaper, the baby was discovered by a resident of Flamboyant Street’s dog. It is suspected that the dog discovered the baby’s body in a vacant plot at the back of its owners’ house and decided to take it home.

The exact site is difficult to determine, as there are many vacant plots in the surrounding area, as well as the bordering forestry area north of Flamboyant Street.

A spokesperson for the local police, W/O Cassius Mabatha, confirmed that the police are investigating the matter. According to him, the police’s investigation is somewhat hindered by the fact that the baby’s body was badly mauled, making a positive identification difficult.

Mabatha pleaded with community members who might have information about the incident to notify the station immediately. An inquest docket was opened to determine the age and exact cause of death. Pending the outcome of a post mortem, the case might be changed to one of murder, rather than concealment of birth.

As far as the police were able to determine, this baby was the third abandoned newborn baby whose body was discovered in Louis Trichardt since January. Earlier in the year, a baby was discovered in the bushes along the N1 near the Information Centre. Another baby was discovered in some bushes near the Louis Trichardt Provincial Hospital.

In the meantime, Past Leonie Mayfarth of the AFM Church in Louis Trichardt has once again pleaded with expectant mothers to rather seek help than turn to such extremes. She said that it was not only the AFM church that could assist. Any local church or clinic can be approached, who will in turn assist an expectant mother. There is also an institution in Polokwane who can facilitate adoptions. Mayfarth has invited young mothers who need help to contact her at 084 219 4406. Alternatively, Capt Danelle Fourie of the local police’s family protection unit can be contacted at 082 729 0378 for assistance, information or a referral to a social worker. Fourie can also be approached with information that can assist the police with any information that could assist them in their investigations about the three babies.

Date:25 April 2016

By: Isabel Venter

Isabel joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in 2009 as a reporter. She holds a BA Degree in Communication Sciences from the University of South Africa. Her beat is mainly crime and court reporting.

Read: 1517