TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- Police tracked down a Vietnamese woman, who had abandoned her newborn baby girl found by a Pokemon player, to the dormitory of the electronics company where she works in New Taipei City, and she now faces charges with Offenses of Abandonment (遺棄罪), reported CNA.
At 12:00 a.m. this morning, a 56-year-old man surnamed Chen (陳) was riding his bicycle and hunting Pokemon in New Taipei City's Zhonghe District, when he suddenly stumbled upon a cardboard box that was shaking on a sidewalk next to a construction site. Chen initially thought that someone had abandoned a pet, but when he opened it, he discovered that there was a baby inside and called the police immediately.
When police arrived on the scene, they found that the box contained a newborn baby girl and her body temperature was slightly low, as she was only wrapped in a thin layer of clothing inside the cardboard container. Police said that she was only wrapped in a towel and a light jacket, and her umbilical cord had not been removed.
Fortunately, the girl's vital signs were normal, but due to her low temperature, she was rushed to Shuangho Hospital for treatment. Doctors now say that the baby girl is in good condition.
After police checked footage from nearby surveillance cameras, they saw a couple whom they suspected were two foreign migrant workers leaving the baby on the spot where she was found. The two were first spotted riding bicycles at 6 p.m. on Tuesday night (March 26). Police say they rode their bicycles from Sanmin Road in Banqiao District to the corner of Guanhuan Road and Zhongyuan Street in Zhonghe District.
At 7 p.m., the couple left the box with the baby girl inside on the sidewalk next to Zhongyuan 2nd Street.
Baby found in box. (PTT image)
After reviewing surveillance footage and inspecting information on the box the baby was left in, investigators pinpointed the dormitory where the 20-year-old Vietnamese suspect surnamed Nguyen (阮) is living. On the scene, police found a knife which Nguyen had used to sever the umbilical cord.
Nguyen told police that she had been working in Taiwan for more than a year. She confessed that she gave birth to the infant last night while inside the dormitory.
She said that she decided to abandon the baby because she could not support her.
Police have transferred Nguyen to the New Taipei District Prosecutors' Office on charges of Offenses of Abandonment.
Hsu Chih-chi (許芝綺), director of the Center for Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault told CNA that after learning of the abandonment of the baby in the morning, social workers have been dispatched to give medical treatment and emergency placement care. The National Immigration Agency will later determine how to proceed next, based upon relevant regulations.
Hsu said that social workers will also review the mother's plan for caring for the child to determine whether she will be a suitable parent for her. The Department of Social Welfare will continue to monitor the health status of and medical care provided to the baby girl, including routine health checks, said Hsu.
Nguyen standing in front of box where baby was left. (New Taipei City Police Department photo)
