A 16-year-old girl has been apprehended for dumping her infant in a pit toilet in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The authorities, accompanied by the Umhlali South African Police Service (SAPS) K9 Search and Rescue unit, responded to reports of a newborn being discarded in a two-meter-deep toilet in Maphumulo on Friday, January 5, 2024.
According to the emergency responders, the teenager concealed the birth of the baby, stashed it in a packet, and then disposed of it in an abandoned pit latrine in the iLembe District. The authorities have recovered the baby’s body and detained both the teenager and her mother as part of their investigation. The police are investigating a case of concealment of birth, as confirmed by Colonel Robert Netshiunda, a spokesperson for the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Maphumulo, KZN.
The incident occurred in a mostly rural area, as stated by the Maphumulo Local Municipality. Images related to the incident can be found below.