Source SXMINFO
SAINT MARTIN/GUADELOUPE – Nearly a year ago, during Christmas 2015, American tourists discovered a newborn abandoned between Le Galion and Orient Beach in St. Martin. The cries of the child alerted the tourists, which led to the discovery of the little baby girl of Hispanic ethnicity.
An investigation was immediately opened to determine the conditions under which the abandonment took place. Thanks to CCTV images, the mother was quickly identified as a young woman of about 30, a native of the Dutch side, unemployed and already the mother of two children.
She was arrested a few weeks later. In early January 2016, it was ascertained that she sought to have French rights by quietly giving birth to the child in the French side hospital. However, due to administrative issues, she was unable to get the relevant documents for the child.
After the child was born, she abandoned the newborn, thinking it would die quickly, and sparing her the difficulty of acquiring the necessary paperwork, according to her. This explanation did not spare her from an indictment, and a provisional detention.
Since Thursday, November 3, however, the mother was still on trial, but was released after a new application filed by her lawyer, which was reviewed by the Appeal Court of Basseterre.
Since these events, the little girl has been placed in a home for such children, which is run by the County Council in Guadeloupe.
Source The Daily Herald and this story was Published on 12 JANUARY 2016
Abandoned baby’s mother in detention in Guadeloupe
MARIGOT–The mother of the baby girl found abandoned on December 26 between Le Galion and Orient Bay was taken into custody last week Wednesday and transferred to Guadeloupe the following day, Vice-Prosecutor Michaël Ohayon confirmed on Monday.
Meanwhile he said the baby is still in the care of the French-side hospital and not in foster care.
“The Judge of the Juvenile Court will make the decision when the baby has to go into foster care or put up for adoption.”
He said the baby may be scarred for life due to the condition she was found in. On the day the baby was found alive by a tourist, she was hidden in a garbage bag. Crabs had punctured their way into the bag and had been clawing away at the body. However, the fact the crabs had broken into the bag created a lifeline of oxygen and prevented the baby from dying of suffocation.
According to the reports, the pregnant woman went to Louis-Constant Fleming Hospital on December 25 with the intention of giving birth there, however, she was reportedly advised to go the Dutch-side Medical Center instead, because she was a resident of the Dutch side and had medical insurance there.
She never turned up at the Medical Center and told investigators she didn’t want her family to know about her pregnancy and gave birth to the baby in her car.
