BABY DUMP NEWS, July 11, 2007–v7 #28
July 11, 2007 – 9:40 am
BABY DUMP NEWS:
A WEEKLY E-CHRONICLE OF NEWBORN ABANDONMENT
INFANTICIDE,
SAFE HAVEN LEGISLATION
AND RELATED ISSUES
July 11, 2007 -v7 #28
Distributed weekly by:
Marley Elizabeth Greiner, Executive Chair, Bastard Nation
Disclaimer: Some newspapers keep articles on 7-14 days (or less) free access and then forward them to paid archives. Please feel free to send articles and websites of interest to maddogmarley@worldnet.att.net
All links are tested just before sending.
READ: The Daily Bastardette, safe haven and adoption commentary,
http://bastardette.blogspot.com and www.myspace.com/maddogmarley
July 6, 2007: HAWAI’I: Bastard Nation Thanks Linda Lingle
July 9, 2007–HAWAI’I: Action Alert – Stop HB1830 Baby Dump Override!
July 10, 2007–HAWAI’I: Lingle Dumps the Dump–Vetoes HB1830
July 11, 2007–HAWAII: Legislature Ovberides Lingle Veto
THANKS: Jim, Kim
***THIS WEEK***
CALIFORNIA–Edith Ledesma pleads guilty to voluntary manslaughter
HAWAI’I: Gov. Lingle vetoes SH; legislature overrides
PENNSYLVANIA–Media file suit over Lauren Elizabeth Brown case
WASHINGTON–Newborn left on church doorstep
INDIA-Newborn girl buried alive by family survives
…and more
***STATES***
CALIFORNIA
KGTV-TV, San Diego, July 10, 2007
Vista mother pleads guilty to suffocating newborn son
http://www.10news.com/news/13655726/detail.html
VISTA–Update on Edith Ledesma case BDN v6 #2, 30). Ledesma, 25, pleads guilty to voluntary manslaughter for suffocating newborn son found in trashcan. Faces up to 11 years. Ledesma, who has 3 other children, hid pregnancy from common-law husband because he’d had vasectomy. Husband previously had rejected 1st child because he didn’t think he looked like him. Deputy DA says Ledesma was a hard working woman with no prior criminal record who by “all accounts was an excellent mother to her three surviving children.”
FLORIDA
KCRG-TV, Cedar Rapids, July 9, 2007
Solon teen pleads “not guilty” to killing her newborn daughter
http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/8397867.html
POMPANO BEACH–Update on Ashley Truitt case (BDN v7 #23, 24, 27). Truitt pleads not guilty; has never acknowledged or admitted doing crime. Lots of comments from Iowa hometown. Picture.
Miami Herald, July 10, 2007
Woman charged with killing newborn baby, putting her in trash
http://www.miamiherald.com/775/story/166507.html
OAKLAND PARK–Lindsay Scott, 22, charged with 1st degree murder; gives statement to police that she gave birth to a full-term baby girl and disposed of body in trash. EMTs at home at time of birth, and deny knowing of pregnancy.
HAWAI’I
Honolulu Advertiser, July 10, 2007
Gov. Lingle may veto task force funding
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070710/NEWS03/707100347/1001/NEWS03
HONOLULU–Article on various bills Gov. Lingle plans to veto including HB 1830. Mike Morrisey in town lobbying for passage.
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, July 11, 2007
Lingle clashes with Democrats over “flawed” bills
http://starbulletin.com/2007/07/11/news/story06.html
HONOLULU–Long article on HI legislature Special Session and overrides of several vetoes including SH bill. Summary of bill.
Mel’s Internet Universe Weblog, July 11, 2007
Legislature override Lingle’s vetoes
http://macprohawaii.blogspot.com/
HONOLULU–Comments on Special Session and overrides. Says HB 1830 is “a bill looking for a problem to happen. Over the last 10 or so years less than half a dozen newborn babies have been abandoned in dumpsters or elsewhere in Hawaii. This law will legitimize baby abandonment by allowing people to drop off their unwanted children at a designated place. Anyone heard of restraint or responsibility? If you cannot care for a child, do not have one.”Pictures.
MASSACHUSETTS
Springfield Republican, July 5, 2007
Foundlings offered safe haven shelter
http://www.masslive.com/republican/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1183623376264650.xml&coll=1
CHICOPEE–Board of Aldermen vote to post 8 BSH signs donated by Richard David Dewert Fund at fire and police stations. Alderman George R. Moreau says signs cost $25 each and he wants to find way to reimburse fund.
MINNESOTA
ABC News, July 6, 2007
Murder on the Mississippi,
http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=3350002
RED WING–National coverage of 3 dead baby cases. (BDN v7 #13, 14, 17, 27) Interview with Goodhue County Sheriff Dean Albers, “To do it once, I think society can understand. They won’t condone it, but they can understand a desperate act by a young girl. To kill two children we’re just in a whole different situation.” DNA tests of 2 dozen women over the years fail to connect. Comments from neonaticide and abandonment experts. Martin Williams, trial consultant with a Ph.D in psychology from UC says that it’s possible mother suffered from severe postpartum psychosis or had long-term mental problems. Phillip Resnick, professor of psychiatry at Case Medical Center in Cleveland who coined the term “neonaticide in 1969 says a typical profile of mother who kills a newborn is a 19-year old, often unmarried woman who lives with her parents and may not be able to face their disappointment that she had premarital sex and become pregnant. Points out difficult circumstances under which these cases happen. Also features Jeanne Madtson who has buried all 3 babies Cory, baby girl discovered in 1999, Jamie her apparent brother found in 2003 and Abby discovered in March.
NEW JERSEY
Easton (PA) Express-Times, July 10, 2007
Safe Haven law lauded for saving babies’ lives
http://www.nj.com/news/expresstimes/nj/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1184040910175750.xml&coll=2
TRENTON–Since 2000 when SH went into effect 27 newborns discarded with 8 dead; 33 SH. Marie Tasy, NJRTL Exe. Dir says without law number of discarded newborns would be double. Joe Colavita, dispatcher at Monroe Twn. PD says in 2003 a teenage girl passed a note through the bullet-proof glass at the department reading, “I’m in trouble and I’m going to leave this baby.” While she waited for ambulance to arrive she told him that she’d planned to leave the baby in a dumpster at the nearby Heritage store but changed her mind at the last minute. Statistics show that vast majority of SH cases occur where state advertises law–mainly near public transportation. (no source listed). “If the Safe Haven law is to exceed expectations, everything possible must be done to ensure that new and expectant mothers know about the program” says SH sponsor Assblm. John Quigley.
OHIO
Wooster Daily-Record, July 3, 2007
DNA confirms baby’s parents
http://www.the-daily-record.com/news/article/2211712
WOOSTER–Update on porch case (BDN v7 #26, 27). With confirmation, case turned over to Wayne County Prosecutor. Testing expedited when baby was found to rule out connection to Jessie Davis case.
PENNSYLVANIA
Pittsburgh Post Gazette, July 7, 2007
PG joins suit to lift gag order in case of stabbed newborn
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07188/799957-54.stm
PITTSBURGH–Update on Lauren Elizabeth Jones case (BDN v7 #10-11, 12, 14, 19). Pittsburgh Post Gazette and WPXI join complaint by Tribune-Review and Butler Eagle newspapers to remove gag order on Jones case which prohibits anyone remotely connected to case from speaking to media about any aspect of case.
SOUTH CAROLINA
South Carolina.com, July 10, 2007
Williamsburg County authorities investigate death of newborn baby
http://www.scnow.com/midatlantic/scp/news.apx.-content-articles-FMN-2007-07-10-0005.html
WILLIIAMSBURG COUNTY–Body of newborn found in bushes near barn; alleged 18-year old mother gives conflicting stories about birth. Claims she had miscarriage then admits to giving birth to fully developed baby.
WASHINGTON
KING-TV, Seattle, July 3, 2007
Police still trying to find mother of abandoned baby
http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW_070307WAB_abandoned_baby_KC.3dce7133.html
FEDERAL WAY–Review of case; baby reported doing fine. No leads. Picture.
Federal Way Mirror, July 10, 2007
State seeks parents of abandoned baby
http://www.fedwaymirror.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=91&cat=23&id=1023462&more=0
FEDERAL WAY–Many details of case.
***INTERNATIONAL***
EMIRATES
Gulf News, July 9, 2007
Maid jailed for dumping newborn
http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/07/09/10137981.html
DUBAI–Update on MK case (BDN v7 #15, 20, 23). Dubai Court of Appeals confirms conviction.
ENGLAND
Suffolk Evening Star, July 9, 2007
Man arrested after dead baby found
BURY ST. EDMUNDS–Unnamed man, 42, arrested on suspicion of concealment of a birth after dead baby discovered. Woman believed to be mother hospitalized; autopsy pending.
INDIA
India eNews, July 7, 2007
Newborn girl survives live burial
http://www.indiaenews.com/india/20070705/59350.htm
ANDHRA PRADESH–Newborn girl buried alive by family survives when farmer sees her hand protruding from a pit and pulls her out. Allegedly buried by maternal grandfather and his brother; mother Menrunnisa, 21, may be involved. Police report that Abdul Raheem, maternal grandfather felt burdened by his 7 daughters and decided to kill the baby; said he had consent of Mehrunnisa. whose husband has deserted her reportedly.
The Hindu, July 7, 2007
“Miracle baby” brought to Hyderabad
http://www.hindu.com/2007/07/07/stories/2007070757800400.htm
HYDERABAD–More on above story. Menrunnisa denies she is mother and demands DNA test, but police say they have enough evidence to prove that she is mother. Couple who wants to adopt baby visit her in hospital. Picture.
New India Press, July 7, 2007
2-day old infant abandoned
NELLORE–2-day old girl abandoned on steps of Government Hospital in Gudur.
Times of India, July 10, 2007
Baby girl found abandoned
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Baby_girl_found_abandoned/rssarticleshow/2189984.cms
AHMEDABAD–Fireman rescues newborn girl left in storm at Kankaria Lake when fire team check oxygen levels at lake. Suffering hypothermia but in stable condition.
JAPAN
Daily Yomiuri, July 7, 2007
4th child abandoned at Kumamoto baby hatch
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070707TDY02006.htm
KUMAMOTO– Girl 10-20 days old left in hatch at Jikei Hospital. Since contraption opened on May 10, 3 others have been left: 3-year old boy on day it opened; 2-month old boy on June 12, and another older baby on June 15.
Reuters Alertnet, July 9, 2007
“Baby hatch highlights Japan fears over adoption
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/T9153.htm
TOKYO–Though babies may be “saved” by baby hatch, chances are slim they will be adopted due to Japanese prejudice against adoption; will be reared in orphanages. Masaki Takakura, journalist and author of book on adoption says bias is “hangover from post-war years when children whose parents had died were rounded up and sent to orphanages.” Local officials won’t comment on specific cases, but if Japanese courts don’t define “baby hatch” children as abandoned they may be left in children’s homes for years awaiting return of parents. Japan has 30,000 children already in children’s homes, mostly due to abuse, who will stay there until they are old enough to work. PM Shinzo Abe who opposes hatches also rejects adoption. Negative attitudes towards adoption come from Confucian teachings and an antiquated household registry system than can dog unwed mothers for their entire lives even if they place a child for adoption. “Children in need of adoption have been stigmatized by notions of pure and impure or good and bad blood” say Peter Hayes from Britain’s Sunderland University and Toshie Habu author of “Adoption in Japan. For much of Japan’s history adoption has been in extended family, with childless couples often taking in a nephew or other relative to carry on their family name or business, rather than because the child was in need of care. “Special adoption” of needy non-relatives only introduced into law in 1989 with only a few hundred approved cases a year.
Mainichi Daily News, July 10, 2007
Truck driver nabbed for dumping baby’s body in cooler box
http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/national/news/20070710p2a00m0na014000c.html
YOKOHAMA–Hideaki Inoue, 33, arrested for illegally dumping newborn son in cooler box in car shortly after his former wife gave birth last July. Says he left baby in car because he thought it was dead and then traded car for a new one.
NEW ZEALAND
Stuff.com, July 9, 2007
Dead baby may have been in flat for month
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4121713a11.html
LOWER HUTT–Update on Lower Hutt yard case (BDN v7 #27). Unnamed mother, 24, has 3 other children; one adopted and 2 live with paternal grandparents. Charged with murder. Police believe that baby was born as early as June, in flat mother shared with 6 others who called police when they discovered body.
SOUTH AFRICA
News 24, July 10, 2007
Cops find mom’s first dead baby
http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_2144780,00.html
PRETORIA–Unnamed mother, 34, and aunt, 48, arrested for allegedly drowning newborn girl in bucket and burying her in their yard.. Mother confesses to similar incident last July; authorities locate and exume body.
Sorry, comments for this entry are closed at this time.