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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
 Posted - 20 Oct 2007 : 12:56:28
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| Very, very sad. I hope the girl will be treated with compassion. What a desperate thing to do. I have heard of this in China and India....But not Africa. Usually children are a blessing, but not always sadly.... |
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Momodou
Denmark
11634 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2007 : 13:36:28
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Woman Buries Her Baby
By Amie Sanneh
Calamity besieged Wellingara on Friday when a woman (name withheld) gave birth to a baby boy and buried him alive. The lady who is said to be a resident of Abuko, works as a housemaid at Wellingara.
The report added that after the suspect buried the baby, she put empty plastic bags on top of the grave so that people will not discover what happened; that this situation continued until on Sunday when the landlady discovered that a swarm of flies were flying over the scene of the crime. The landlady is said to have asked people to find out why the flies are in the area. According to a source, the people later discovered a decomposing body at the site where the baby was buried. The report indicated that it was then that the lady suspected her maid and reported the matter to the station.
The source indicated that the police at Wellingara Police Station later came and took pictures of the corpse. The suspect was then taken to the clinic and later to the Wellingara Police Station. The dead body was however taken to the mortuary.
When the police spokesperson, Inspector Sulayman Secka was contacted, he confirmed the story. He said the young lady gave birth to a baby boy on Thursday and buried it early Thursday morning. Inspector Secka added that the police received the information on Sunday. He said the body is at the mortuary and the lady is currently in custody at the police Headquarters in Banjul.
The PRO revealed that the police are still investigating the matter and the lady will eventually be taken to court. He said she would be charged for committing infanticide.
The police spokesperson however warned the general public, especially young girls, to desist from such a practice.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 123/2007, 19 – 21 October 2007 |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2007 : 19:52:56
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"The PRO revealed that the police are still investigating the matter and the lady will eventually be taken to court. He said she would be charged for committing infanticide.
The police spokesperson however warned the general public, especially young girls, to desist from such a practice."
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It looks like the police have made a judgement already!
This , is however very, very sad.
A woman not long ago while working at a restaurant here started having labor. She rushed to the bathroom, gave birth and flushed her baby down the drain. Poor lady, it didn't work; since then she is facing similar charges as this lady in the Gambia.
Oh man, what cause some women to do this? Are they born criminals? are there social factors that lead them to this self-destruction? Is there any hope of addressing this issue at all? |
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jammin
Jamaica
149 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2007 : 06:59:46
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postnatal depression.
Science has still not been able to pinpoint the cause(s) that trigger women to do such an act, but the act itself usually take place right after childbirth. |
Like a colossus He doth bestride the Narrow World |
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Santanfara
3460 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2007 : 08:03:55
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| what do you mean jammin ? |
Surah- Ar-Rum 30-22
"And among His signs is the creation of heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge." Qu'ran
www.suntoumana.blogspot.com |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2007 : 09:51:50
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Jammin I dont agree with you.
Post natal depression usually starts about 3 weeks after the baby is born. This is due to the drop in hormones. It can be short lived and light or long term (several years) and very heavy.
It can be treated with anti depressants, hormone therapy and/or talking therapies such as cognitive behaviour therapy.
Women it this situation need alot of support from family and friends to avoid suicide and/or infanticide.
The women that buried her baby could have psychatric problems, or could have just been totally over whelmed with the situation. The worst case senario is that they were evil and calculating and had planned to do this.
I think it is more likely to be a women alone with no means of coping. Very very sad.
In India and China this is quite a common practice because of the ressure to produce boys. Especially in China with its limits of one child per family. Often girls are put to own side to die.
In Gambia I have always loved how much people love their children and they are seen as a blessing even in very difficult circumstances.  |
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kiwi
Sweden
661 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2007 : 19:46:36
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quote:
Originally posted by gambiabev
I hope the girl will be treated with compassion.
It depends if she is a girl. Or is she a grown up woman? If she is very young there could be several explanations – not excuses – to her behaviour. Is there a boyfriend/husband? If not, is it a shame to have a baby? Did she fear that her parents would be angry, probably send her away?. Did she know she was pregnant? She probably was raped. There also is a possibility that the baby never was alive. For a grown up woman there are fewer mitigating circumstances.
I hope this is not going to lead to another death sentence.
People do strange things. Here, a few days ago a mother and a grandmother were arrested in connection with a dead baby found on a recycle space. After autopsy it was found out that it was a stillbirth and therefore they are now released. But why was the body thrown away?
In France it was last week discovered that a woman had dumped the bodies of all her five newborn children in the cellar of her own house.
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2007 : 20:50:24
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| Very intelligent post, Bev. I totally agree with that position! |
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jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2007 : 09:38:50
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this is sad, how old was the maid, i have never heard of this in gambia, they have orphanages for children that are abandoned. she had a job, in gambia no mean feat, there are support mechanism in places for an unwanted child.
China and India have their rules and laws on this.
I hope she is not chaged with murder, but i ask if the muslim courts will condemn her, because there is no mention of husband and therefore adulter has been committed.
Please can someone keep us informed on this one. |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2007 : 10:05:20
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Before she is condemned by any court she should be allowed to name the father of the baby, a DNA test conducted, and then she and the father be condemned together.
If the man who made her pregnant stood by her along this difficult journey of gestation, this tragedy might have been avoided. It is shameful that we have a society that accepts the idea that a man can get a woman "loaded" and leave her to fend for herself with the stigma in an inceasingly difficult economic situation in the Gambia while the brute disappears into the crowd looking for another victim. And who gets the blame? The woman. Poor woman! |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2007 : 10:25:10
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| Kayjatta, I love your compassion to women! |
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jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2007 : 10:31:46
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Kay, perhaps he did not know, we do not know if he was local to her, she could have travelled far from her work place, mybe she doens not know where he is, perhaps he travelled, plenty of reasons,
I never assumed she was made pregnant and dumped. two side to each story. |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2007 : 10:46:34
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| Thanks Bev. I just generally can't help feeling for the victim... |
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mbay
Germany
1007 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2007 : 11:57:07
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She might be in panic, Nevertheless it is total greedy and unacceptable!
This happens in a very hart of our society which naturally majority doesnt accepts these kind westerner bula bula.
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2007 : 12:09:03
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| Nobody said it is acceptable. We are saying if justice is to be served , let it be served in full. Also the broad societal factors that contribute to this kind of tragedies be looked into and addressed... |
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