22-year-old woman held over dumping baby in pit latrine

Police in Arua District have detained a 22-year-old woman for al;allegedly dumping her baby in a pit latrine.

It's alleged that Janet Drateru, a resident of Yivu West Village in Vurra Sub County in Arua District on January 9 at around 10pm gave birth to a baby boy.

According to close relatives, Drateru “cut the baby’s umbilical cord and later dumped it in the neighbor's pit latrine where the baby was found alive and crying before the matter was immediately reported to police.”

The police fire brigade unit swiftly responded to rescue the newly-born baby and arrested the suspect on Tuesday “to assist with investigations.”

West Nile police spokesperson Ms Josephine Angucia confirmed the incident adding that the Force was informed about the occurrence on January 10.

“Upon recovery, the baby's life was saved by immediately rushing him to Arua Regional Referral Hospital for treatment. The suspect was arrested and detained at Vurra Police Station,'' she said

By Wednesday evening, statements police had taken statements from the complainant, suspect and other witnesses as Drateru now faces a child abuse case. 

"As investigations kicked off, it was found that the suspect's husband denied being responsible for fathering the baby. The suspect feared losing her marriage in case it's confirmed that the baby was for a different man and therefore induced the baby using medicine which resulted into a premature birth," Ms Angucia stated.

Monitor understands the baby is now receiving treatment at Arua Regional Referral Hospital.

Meantime, police has urged mothers “to respect the rights of the unborn or newly born babies as they also have the right to live.”

“Those who unlawfully take away the lives of the unborn or newly born babies will be arrested and charged with either abortion or causing infanticide respectively,” Ms Angucia warned on Wednesday.Josephine Angucia, the PRO West Nile region