Couple gets baby back

 By JAYNE SAFIHAO

A NEWLY born child, who was taken away by an imposter guardian at Modilon Hospital in Madang last Thursday morning, was returned to his distraught parents the same day.

Shocked parents Libia and Luansi Kurukaip told The National that they alerted the labour ward nurses after discovering their baby was missing from his bed.

Madang police were also informed about the matter.

According to the couple, they were bringing their sick daughter to hospital last Tuesday when Libia went into labour early last Wednesday morning. 

A healthy 3.5kg baby boy was born, the couple’s third child.

Libia said she noticed the suspect walking into the labour ward on Wednesday morning and thought she was a guardian to one of the expectant mothers. The suspect was friendly and even slept under her bed that night.

She did not suspect anything and left her baby to attend to her sick daughter in another ward.

The couple said they had spent about 30 to 40 minutes attending to their sick daughter by which time the suspect had told other mothers that she was taking the baby to his mother in the other ward. She wrapped the naked child in his mother’s laplap and disappeared.

Information about the kidnapped child reached the Sisiak 3 area where the suspect resides.

The police rapid response unit with Luansi went to the suspect’s house, a Vanessa Yantera of mixed Sepik and Ramu parentage, only to find her mother in the house.

The suspect’s mother confessed to caring for the baby but after much insistence from the community returned the child.

Another woman who was discharged from the labour ward that week took the baby back with help of a security vehicle.

Police are investigating and expect to bring in the missing suspect soon with the help of the community.

A concerned nurse, who did not want to be named, said they now have to screen guardians assisting pregnant mothers as lax practices leave open the possibility of babies being snatched mostly for money.