Spread of 'baby boxes' in Europe alarms United Nations

Submitted by Matt on Tue, 2012-06-12 20:40

Article here. Excerpt:

'The United Nations is increasingly concerned at the spread in Europe of "baby boxes" where infants can be secretly abandoned by parents, warning that the practice "contravenes the right of the child to be known and cared for by his or her parents", the Guardian has learned.

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, which reports on how well governments respect and protect children's human rights, is alarmed at the prevalence of the hatches – usually outside a hospital – which allow unwanted newborns to be left in boxes with an alarm or bell to summon a carer.
...
"There is growing evidence that it is frequently men or relatives abandoning the child, raising questions about the mother's whereabouts and whether she has consented to giving up her baby," he said. "You also have to ask whether an anonymous drop allows the authorities to check whether there's a chance for the baby to remain with its family in the care of other relatives."'

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Comments

.. if a man does it, it's suspicious.

What a total mess such a situation is, from every angle. Looks like one of those lesser-of-evils things, but notice that a woman (ie, the only ones not being considered suspicious abandoners of newborns) has the right to surrender parental obligations even after the baby is born. Meanwhile, a man has no such right at any time, before or after the infant's birth. If both parties have the obligation to raise and be financially responsible for the baby, that's fair. But what if only one party is so obligated? That's what we have now.

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Submitted by Matt on Tue, 2012-06-12 20:43

at least they are being creative by snatching the kid from mom and depositing them in a baby box.

this is what happens when the two parties (mom and dad) are treated unequally.
eventually some of the dads will create equality on their own tersm.

more power to them

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Submitted by oregon dad on Wed, 2012-06-13 23:23