Police are investigating the death of a newborn baby girl found in a black dustbin at a petrol station on the corner of Prince George Drive and 4th Avenue, Grassy Park, on Wednesday 24 June.

At 08:30 that Wednesday morning, Grassy Park police received a complaint of the dumped infant and upon arrival were led to the body, said police spokesperson Sgt Wesley Twigg.

Circumstances surrounding this incident are still under investigation.

Similar discovery in Lotus River

In a similar incident in May, the Lotus River community was shocked to learn of the discovery of a baby’s body found in a stormwater drain on Sunday 3 May, around 14:00, on the corner of Second Avenue and Antelope Street, bringing the desperate search that had begun the previous day to an end.

ALSO READ: Mother in custody after a newborn found dead in Lotus River drain

A 31-year-old woman was arrested and the charge against her was changed from suspected child abandonment to murder. She appeared in the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 5 May and was due to appear again on Thursday 14 May for a bail application.

The Grassy Park Community Policing Forum’s (GPCPF) Nicole Jacobus said they are aware of the infant that was dumped.

“We don’t have much detail on the matter but it’s quite sad that a mother would give up their baby so easily when there is a safe space that babies can be taken to like Philisa Abafazi in Retreat who has a baby saver over there. If you are giving birth in and you don’t want the child, then you can rather leave the baby at the hospital than to discard it in a plastic bin. Yes, we don’t know the circumstances around why the mother did that but I do sympathise with the parent in that sense,” she said.

Anyone with information is requested to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or to use the MySAPS App to report anonymously.

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