A video of a baby thrown in the garbage surfaced last week on social media, another face of tragedy in Lebanon.
The video showed the baby in a garbage bag and people calling out to carry her to safety. The961 looked into her case, and here’s what we found:
In a call with the961, the municipality of Borj Hammoud said the Security Forces took the baby into the Naba’a Police Station.
In another call with the police station itself, we were informed said that the Union for the Protection of Infants in Lebanon (UPEL) took the baby. The police also told us that they were receiving calls from citizens inquiring about adopting her.
The961 finally managed to get hold of UPEL on the phone and the organization assured us that the baby girl is currently in the hospital and that her health is good. UPEL has been also receiving a lot of calls asking about adopting the infant.
A case has been opened in the juvenile’s court, and investigations are being done to identify the parents responsible for this cruel abandonment of their infant.
When found, the parents will face prosecution, and the infant will be given to someone in her extended family. If not, UPEL will take her in and put her up for adoption, which people are already flocking to do so.
The sentence could be anywhere from 3 months to a year in prison, according to Lebanese law. Had the baby died, like in the case that occurred early this year, they could face a murder or manslaughter charge.
While the cause of this cruel abandonment of a vulnerable infant is yet to be known, this isn’t the first time such a drama happens in Lebanon.
The economic situation is in shambles. Baby’s essentials like food and diapers are reaching astronomical prices, that’s if they are available.
The birthing of a child, which is always an overwhelming joy, has become for some a source of fear and anguish, and also despair.
However, nothing can justify or excuse the abandonment of an infant, let alone to be thrown in a garbage bag in the streets. The infant, after all, didn’t ask to come to life and pay a cruel price for the parents’ circumstances, whatever they are.
It is totally inhuman, adding that it is a violation of the law and international treaties.
The drama of baby abandonment has repeated itself in the past, whether left in the streets or at religious sites.
It could keep happening until there are proper measures by the Ministry of Social Affairs to effectively help poor families in despair and protect babies from being thrown to the wolves.
