Baby abandonment decriminalised

WINDHOEK (Namibia): The government on Friday said it hoped a new law to remove criminal penalties for mothers abandoning their newborn would ensure women who cannot look after their children can hand them safely to authorities. The southern African country passed a law last month allowing mothers to drop off newborns with the police or at a safe house. Local media reports on Friday cited police data, which showed that 25 babies were reported abandoned between 2017 and last year.