Chinese newborn’s mother reportedly said he slipped into sewer pipe
The 22-year-old mother of a Chinese newborn rescued from a sewer pipe over the weekend reportedly told police the child slipped into the pipe after being delivered in a toilet.
The woman, whose name was not released, told police she could not afford an abortion and delivered the baby Saturday, the Associated Press reported Wednesday. She was unable to catch the child, and then could not pull him from the sewer line to safety, the Jinhua-based Zhezhong News reported, according to AP.
The woman, a resident of the Pujiang area of Jinhua in Zhejiang province, reportedly alerted her landlord that she heard sounds from the sewer pipe. Police became suspicious because she had blood on her clothes, the China Daily reported.
The woman said she did not lose control of the baby on purpose, Zhang Jianbo, a local police officer, told the China Daily.
“She said she felt sudden pain and went to the toilet when the baby came out and slipped into the sewer pipe,” Zhang said. “She tried to get him up but failed. She said that she did not have money to raise the baby so she kept silent when he was rescued.”
The woman apparently is not married and the baby’s father remained unknown. The case was under investigation and it was unclear whether the woman would face charges.
The baby, who suffered minor injuries, weighed a little more than 6 pounds, according to reports. After his two-hour rescue, the hospital where he was taken saw an outpouring of concern and goodwill that included offers of adoption.
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efrain.hernandez.jr@latimes.com
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