The Namibian government has expressed optimism on the law that was passed in January allowing mothers to drop off new-borns with the police or at a safe house without facing prosecution.
“We hope that children will not be dumped but they will instead be brought to safe places. We are hoping to see a decrease in the numbers of baby dumping,” permanent secretary of the gender equality ministry, Wilhencia Uiras, told AFP on Friday.
According to local media reports, statistics from the Namibian police data show that 25 babies were reported abandoned between 2017 to 2018.
In the past, several mothers have been arrested and charged for attempted murder for abandoning their babies while others have faced a fine or six months imprisonment for child neglect.
Deputy director for child and welfare services in the gender equality ministry, Joyce Nakuta, told The Namibian newspaper that mothers were being encouraged to give up children to be looked after by the state rather than resort to an illegal abortion.
“They can leave the babies at safe places, and we will not prosecute them. If you (a mother) are considering abortion, rather keep the baby until full term. Give birth, and the government will take over,” she said.
