The teenage mother who allegedly abandoned her newborn in Ondangwa on Tuesday has said she just needed a safe space for her baby while writing her examination.

The baby was found abandoned in a box at a property that used to be a daycare centre but has since stopped operating.

The Namibian Police Force’s Crime Investigations Coordinator for Oshana, Deputy Commissioner Frederick Ndjadila, said in an interview with NAMPA on Wednesday that the suspect is a 19-year-old learner at a school in Ondangwa.

According to Ndjadila, the neighbours of the daycare where the child was left notified the police when they observed a schoolgirl wandering around where the child was found.

“The mother has admitted that she was the one who left the child, hoping that people at the daycare would take care of the child while she was rushing to go write her examination and return to find her child,” he said.

He added that the girl was admitted to the Onandjokwe State Hospital, and her parents were also traced and are currently with her.

Ndjadila noted that she has not yet been arrested, but a summons will be issued to secure her attendance in court.

Meanwhile, the baby is also at Onandjokwe State Hospital, receiving medical attention.
Police investigations into the matter continue.