Police in Arua district have in their custody a 22- year old woman who gave birth to a baby boy and allegedly dumped it in the neighbor’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 accused mother who was picked by police on Tuesday delivered on Monday after she induced the labour which resulted into a premature birth and later dumped the baby in the neighbor’s pit latrine.
The West Nile region police spokesperson Josephine Angucia explains that the matter was reported to police on Tuesday morning by one of the residents who found the baby was crying in the pit latrine.
“It’s alleged that on 09th January 2023 at about 10:00pm in the night hours, in Yivu-East village, Tilevu Parish, Vurra Sub county, Arua district, a pregnant woman called Drateru Janet gave birth to a baby boy by induction, she cut the umbilical cord and later dumped the baby in the neighbor’s pit latrine,” she said. “The baby was found alive and crying in the neighbor’s pit latrine.“
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 10th January 2023, police at Vurra Police Station in Arua district responded to the scene, followed by the Fire Brigade Rescue team from Arua Regional Police Headquarters, so the baby’s life was accordingly saved by removing him alive from the pit latrine and immediately rushing him to Arua Regional Referral Hospital for treatment”, she noted.
Preliminary reports indicate that the husband of the suspect denied the pregnancy which prompted her to induced 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 L.C 3 chairperson of Vurra Sub County Joel Pariyo, has cautioned 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 but rather by 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 through the child in the pit latrine”, he noted.
When Uganda Radio Network-URN visited Arua Regional Referral Hospital this morning, the baby was still alive and receiving treatment. A case of child abuse has been registered at Vurra Police Station under reference 12/10/01/2023.
