ARUA – Police in Arua district have arrested a 22- year old woman who gave birth to a baby boy before allegedly dumping the same into the neighbour’s pit latrine.
The suspect identified as Janet Drateru is a resident of Yivu-East village, Tilevu parish, Vurra sub-county in Arua district.
It’ is alleged that the suspect mother whom police picked on Tuesday had delivered a day before through an induced the labour that had led into a premature birth – hence dumping the baby in the neighbour’s pit latrine.
The West Nile region police spokesperson, Josephine Angucia explained one of the residents had reported the matter on Tuesday after finding the baby who was crying in the pit latrine.
“It’s alleged that on January 9, 2023 at about 10:00pm, in Yivu-East village, Tilevu parish, Vurra sub county, Arua district, a pregnant woman called Drateru gave birth to a baby boy by induction; she cut the umbilical cord and later dumped the baby in the neighbour’s pit latrine,” she said.
According to Angucia, the baby was removed alive from the pit latrine by the Fire Brigade Rescue team and rushed to Arua Regional Referral Hospital for treatment.
“When this information was reported to Police on January 10, 2023, police at Vurra Police Station responded to the scene, followed by the Fire Brigade Rescue team – so the baby’s life was accordingly saved after removing him alive from the pit latrine and immediately rushing him to hospital for treatment,” she noted.
Preliminary reports indicate that the husband of the suspect denied the pregnancy, which prompted her to induce labour and dump the baby in a pit latrine over fears of losing her marriage in case it was confirmed that the baby was for a different man.
The Vurra sub-county LCIII chairperson, Joel Pariyo, described the incident as unfortunate – cautioning parents to respect the rights of the unborn or newly born babies as they also have the right to live and grow.
He further discouraged couples from having children by chance – rather than choice such that they can take care of them.
“My appeal to the community is to have children by choice not by chance. Once you have conceived, take responsibility for the child, not now necessarily throwing the child in the pit latrine,” he noted.
A case of child abuse has been registered at Vurra Police Station under reference 12/10/01/2023.
