BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

NO ARRESTS have been made in the case of a newborn girl found abandoned at Kg Sg Bakong in Lumut two days ago, the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) said in a statement yesterday.

This is the first reported case of an abandoned baby this year, police said.

The infant, weighing 2.02 kg, was found wrapped in a sarong placed on a table near a stall.

The police said she was found to be healthy and had not sustained any injuries after she was brought to the Suri Seri Begawan Hospital in Kuala Belait for a medical check-up.

The case has been referred to the RBPF’s Women and Children Abuse Investigation Unit. The Community Development Department (JAPEM) has been alerted of the case.

The RBPF is seeking the public’s cooperation in providing any information that can assist with the investigation.

Members of the public can contact the Women and Children Abuse Investigation Unit at 2232001/7, the police hotline 993 or by going to the nearest police station.

Leaving a child in any place with the intention of abandoning such child is an offence under Section 317 of the Penal Code Chapter 22, which is punishable with a jail term which may extend to seven years with a fine, or both.

The Brunei Times