‘Abandoned’ newborn put up for adoption

Tuesday 19 June 2018

A baby left at A&E with its umbilical cord still attached has been freed for adoption by the Royal Court.

The child was just a 30-minute-old newborn when found wrapped in a blanket by hospital staff at 05:40 on Sunday 18 March. CCTV footage showed that he had been left there by two women, neither of whom could be identified.

The discovery sparked an emergency appeal from Police and midwifery officials to find the mother, and a special hotline was set up for her to get in touch.

But she was never located, and Police closed their investigation after exhausting all leads in April.

Now, three months after the baby was abandoned, it has been revealed that he is “healthy”, ”calm” and “settled” in the care of foster parents who began looking after him aged just six days old – and has since been freed for adoption by the Royal Court.

Pictured: The baby was left at the hospital's A&E Department in March by two unidentified women, captured here on CCTV.

The Minister for Health and Social Services brought the application before the Bailiff, Sir William Bailhache, in a Royal Court hearing on 25 May.

In it, the Court heard how, despite his traumatic start in life, the child had formed “positive attachments” with his foster parents, who provided him with “love and care.” Results of a health screening were also shared, which showed that he had been well looked after during the mother’s pregnancy. 

“We take it as axiomatic that the birth mother must have been in some stress in the months leading up to the birth; she may still be under such stress now and, clearly, she has not handled the care for the child as one might wish, but in case he should ever read this decision, we add that she has, at least, demonstrated love and care for him by not exposing him to substances or stress in utero and, although the circumstances of his delivery to hospital are unknown, at least he was wrapped in a towel to keep him warm and he was delivered to a place of safety,” the Bailiff said.

Nonetheless, the Court had to consider the “difficult question” of freeing the child for adoption “so soon”, which would involve having to “extinguish the mother’s rights” in relation to the child.

The implications of the freeing order, the Bailiff explained in his judgement, would mean that the mother would have no rights under the law to re-enter the child’s life – unless he fails to be adopted by anyone within 12 months. “…The effect of making the order today is final as far as the mother’s rights are concerned.”

Pictured: The Bailiff, Sir William Bailhache, who sat with jurats Geoffrey Grime and Jane Ronge during the hearing.

In the event that the mother, who remains unknown, did choose to reappear following the adoption order, the Minister was urged to “think carefully” about whether to return to Court, especially as it was “unlikely to work in the child’s best interests” – a factor described as “paramount” by the Bailiff.

“Naturally, the Minister will want to make a number of enquiries as to the mother’s state of health, her fitness, at that stage, but we emphasise that the Minister should not be closed to it if the mother should turn up and show interest again in this child.  But, as we say on balance, we think the position is that it is better in the child’s interests to allow him to develop and cement the attachments with his foster parents.  If the mother does not come forward in the near future, she is liable to be too late to persuade the Minister to reopen the matter,” he commented, before granting the adoption order.

The Court was also asked to consider whether to make their decision public.

Representing the Minister, Advocate Byrne suggested that it should not be published, and simply “go on file” over fears that the child would be identifiable. because “only one child has been left at the General Hospital in the past, for as long as one can remember, and that therefore everyone will know that this judgment affects that child. “

But the Court considered that the child’s new adopted identity would help eradicate the link with the circumstances of his birth, which received much media attention at the time.

Pictured: The hearing took place in the Royal Court.

Moreover, the Bailiff said he hoped that making the adoption order public would make the mother aware that her child had been put up for adoption “and that, if she is to have any hope of reversing her previous decision not to have care of the child, she will need to take steps very soon indeed.”

The baby was subsequently freed for adoption and the judgement published.

READ MORE:

Police search for mother of newborn baby left at A&E

Midwife urges mum of abandoned baby to call

Concerns growing for mother of baby boy left at A&E