adminIN a suspected act of infanticide, a newborn baby was found dead, dumped in a sewage pond at Midlands State University (MSU) main campus, police have confirmed.
Midlands Police spokesperson Inspector Joel Goko confirmed the incident which occurred on 27 September when a newborn was found dead wrapped in torn blue jean trousers, floating in a sewage pond.
The incident left Senga residents’ tongues wagging with many suspecting that it could have been an MSU student who clandestinely gave birth and killed the infant before dumping it in the institution’s drainage.
Insp Goko said the matter was reported to the police by the institution’s authorities after a security guard who was on duty discovered the lifeless infant while patrolling at MSU main campus. He said police were still investigating the matter.
“I can confirm that on 27 September, a dead infant was discovered by an MSU security officer who was on morning patrol, wrapped in a blue jean trousers, floating in a sewage pond located on the main campus and investigations over the matter are still in progress.
“We suspect that the baby could have been dumped,” he said.
He said the infant’s body was taken by the police to Gweru Provincial Hospital mortuary for post-mortem.
Sources at the institution suspected that the baby could have been dumped by a student who failed to take responsibility and later dumped the infant within the campus premises.
“Baby dumping has taken a rise in Zimbabwe and from this matter it seems the baby was dumped by a student of the institution who just failed to take up the responsibility,” said a source that refused to be disclosed.
The National Aids Council recently expressed concern over tertiary institution students’ reckless sexual behaviour attributing it to gross abuse of drugs.
derick.khumalo
Online Reporter