WATCH: Newborn baby allegedly strangled with hairband, found in Chatsworth - IOL

The baby was found on the pathway in Umhlatuzana.

A newborn girl was allegedly strangled with a blue hairband, stuffed into a stocking and left on a pathway in Umhlatuzana, Chatsworth.

Police have opened an inquest and are searching for the mother.

Claude Subramodey, spokesperson for Amawele Emergency Services, said they were notified about the incident by a resident living next to the pathway on 30th Avenue.

He said a passerby told the resident that he had seen a beanie on the staircase along the pathway. 

He said the beanie had a bag of blood in it, and that led the passerby to become suspicious.

“The residents then realised that there was a bundle wrapped in a stocking next to the beanie, which they suspected was a baby.

“Paramedics were notified and when we arrived, we opened the stocking. The baby was tied tightly inside a baby blanket before it was stuffed inside the stocking.

“It was shocking to find that the baby’s head, hands and legs were tied with a blue hairband.

“From assessing the baby, it seems as if the baby was born about one or two hours before we found her.

“Her mouth was opened, indicating that she could have been strangled with the hairband and died. The post mortem results will confirm if this preliminary assumption is correct.”

Subramodey said the blood the passerby found inside the hat was the placenta.

Brandon Pillay, spokesperson for the Bayview Community Policing Forum (CPF), said they were deeply disturbed by the incident.

“This is beyond heartbreaking. It is a devastating reminder of how urgently we must confront the crisis facing our most vulnerable.

“A newborn baby, who entered this world completely dependent on its parents for protection, was abandoned, restrained and left to die. There are no words strong enough to describe the pain and outrage this brings.

“A child is not a problem to be discarded. A baby is not a burden. A life is a life.”

He said as a community, they could not simply express shock today and move on tomorrow. 

He said they needed to ask the difficult questions, strengthen early intervention, support vulnerable mothers, ensure that help is accessible, and hold accountable anyone responsible for such a horrific act.

“If a mother feels she cannot care for her baby, there are services, people and organisations that can help. Abandonment is not the only option. There is help out there. There are social workers there are clinics and a hospital.

“May this tragedy become a catalyst for greater compassion, stronger intervention and the protection of every child in our community.

“Every child deserves a chance at life. Bayview police are investigating an inquest case,” Pillay added.

Tessa Naidoo, deputy chairperson of the Rapid Response Team in Chatsworth, said they have been raising the urgent need for the establishment of a baby-saver in Chatsworth.

She said it was not to encourage the irresponsible abandonment of babies, but to recognise that there are mothers who, for various reasons, may feel completely unequipped to care for a newborn and may make a desperate decision when they see no other option.

“We need to provide them with a safe, confidential and responsible alternative.

“A properly managed baby-saver facility could give a newborn a fighting chance at life, while allowing the appropriate authorities and child-protection organisations to intervene and follow the necessary processes to ensure the baby's safety and future.

“There is a safe place where I can surrender my baby.”

She said until such a facility is established, they would urgently educate the community about alternatives.

“Mothers who feel unable to care for their newborns can seek assistance from Thuthuzela Care Centres, local hospitals or child welfare organisations, where they can be guided towards appropriate support and safe options.

“We cannot wait until another newborn is found abandoned before we ask what more could have been done.

“Prevention must be part of our response.”

Naidoo appealed to our local authorities, healthcare services, child-protection organisations, non-government organisations, community structures and other stakeholders to come together and seriously consider establishing a baby-saver unit in Chatsworth or the surrounding areas.

“This is about protecting the most vulnerable among us. One newborn life lost is one too many.

“Let us create a safe option before desperation becomes another tragedy. Every baby deserves a chance at life. Every mother in crisis deserves a safe place to turn,” she added.