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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
Coastguards and other individuals, on Sunday, prevented an eight-month-old baby from drowning in the Indian ocean where her mother reportedly threw her.
The Kenya Red Cross, in a statement, said the child was rescued following prompt action by the rescue team at the Likoni Ferry channel, in Mombasa.
“An 8-month-old child, miraculously saved after a distressing incident in the Indian Ocean, is now safe at the Kenya Red Cross rescue centre. Thanks to swift action and our heartfelt gratitude to the rescue team,” the statement read.
A video that has gone viral on social media showed a group of responders deploying floaters in a daring attempt to rescue the baby immediately after the incident took place.
Residents claimed that the infant was thrown into the ocean by the mother, whom reports claimed was deaf.
Meanwhile, police authorities have taken the woman, whose identity was not revealed, into custody at the Ferry Police station.
The police said the child is recuperating fairly at the Red Cross rescue centre as the mother is being interrogated for information.
“[She] was rushed for first aid at the Red Cross Centre, treated and discharged in fair condition and her mother taken to the police station for interrogation,” a police statement said.
The police said the woman may be charged for Infanticide.
Infanticide, according to Kenyan Penal Code refers to an act of a mother causing the death of her child below 12 months.
In such cases, some women have faced severe consequences, including public lynching, K24 TV reports.
“Section 210 of the Penal Code treats infanticide as manslaughter, and according to section 202, anyone causing the death of another person through an unlawful act or omission is guilty of this felony.
“The punishment for infanticide aligns with that of manslaughter, carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
“However, some women get lucky and get shorter terms after courts associate the crime with Post-Partum Depression (PPD),” the medium said.
PPD is a mood or mental disorder that can affect some people after childbirth. It involves feelings of extreme sadness, anxiety, and exhaustion