Johannesburg | Thursday
A THREE-day-old baby boy, found abandoned in the men’s toilet of the maintenance section of a Johannesburg court on Tuesday, has been taken in by the Cotlands Baby Sanctuary after he was turned down by two hospitals and police.
Sanctuary representative Jackie Schoeman said on Wednesday the baby was brought to Cotlands by a man and a woman before 10pm on Tuesday.
”The man and a woman who brought him in here at about 9.30pm told me they tried various places without success until they called me and I told them to bring him in,” Schoeman said. ”Baby Mark”, as he has been named, was discovered lying on the floor of the men’s toilet at the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court by a young boy, a court official who did not want to be named said.
”I am in charge of security there. They called me from home at about 6.30pm, to say there was a baby at the toilet and did not know what to do with him,” he said.
Upon arrival at the court his colleagues told him they had informed police.
”I left my contact details with my colleagues and headed to the Coronation Provincial Hospital because I could not stay longer with such a young baby,” he said.
At the hospital the baby was examined by doctors who said he was fine but after about one and a half hours, hospital officials told him they could not shelter the baby.
No reasons were given except that they were not allowed to admit babies, according to the court official.
He then went to Abraham Kriel Hospital where he was told the same thing. Thereafter he went to the Brixton police station and the Johannesburg central police station and was refused help.
”What was hurting me the most was that it was like I was driving around with a cat because it seemed as though nobody cared.
”The police could have taken the baby but did not. I told the police that if I did not find a place for him during the night I was going to take him to my home. They told me that would be against the law.
”Fortunately me and my female colleague happened to call the Cotlands who said we can bring the baby in,” he said.
Schoeman said Baby Mark had only a nappy on when he was brought in and the people who brought him provided blankets.
”He is very strong. The woman who brought him here named him Mark because she said wherever she took him people referred to him as the abandoned baby so she decided to name him Mark,” Schoeman said.
She said police had not contacted or visited the centre to enquire about the baby by Wednesday afternoon.
The centre would care for him for a few more days and if police do not contact them they would approach the court to register the child.
Police representative Amanda Roestoff said it was ”really a disgrace if police indeed did not help” find shelter for the child as it was their duty.
If it appeared there was any negligence on the part of the police, it would be thoroughly investigated.
Roestoff confirmed that a call was made to the child protection unit from the Johannesburg central station but a docket was not opened. – Sapa
07