Russia places boxes for mothers to drop off unwanted babies

Russia places boxes for mothers to drop off unwanted babies

2011-11-08 03:16:03 GMT+7 (ICT)

MOSCOW, RUSSIA (BNO NEWS) -- Russian hospitals have begun to introduce so-called baby boxes where new mothers will be able to place their unwanted newborns, officials said on Monday.

According to the RIA Novosti news agency, Russian health officials said mothers will be able to anonymously drop off their unwanted babies in order to provide safe conditions for the newborns as many of them are commonly left in garbage containers.

The baby-boxes have an estimated cost of 10,000 euros ($13,750), and five of them have already been allocated in Krasnodar Territory, located in southern Russia. The project is expected to expand to other areas, including the Siberian cities of Perm, Tomsk, Omsk, Novosibirsk and the European Russian town of Kirov.

Krasnodar health department official Tamara Perepelkina said no babies have been dropped off yet, underlining that women will not be prosecuted for leaving their babies in the boxes. "Our goal is to save the child's life," she told the media outlet. "We set up the baby boxes in places remote from video cameras and security officers."

Between January and September of this year, at least six Russian women in the region have been charged with murdering their unwanted babies or leaving their child in danger. Officials hope the new boxes will stop this practice.

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