HALIFAX — Two days after a healthy baby was found abandoned behind a shop on a busy Halifax street, many questions remain about who the child is and how such a thing could happen.
Experts say such cases are extremely rare in Canada. But when it does happen, there can be a multitude of reasons for a parent to give up a child in such a public manner, said Elisa Romano, a psychology professor at the University of Ottawa.
Among other things, the child’s mother or father may have mental challenges, or they could be dealing with cultural or religious rules that take a dim view of adoption or abortion.
“We can guess that this mom must have been in a lot of distress and must have been feeling quite desperate to give up her baby in such a manner,” said Romano, who has focused some of her studies on child maltreatment. “She could have been overwhelmed at the prospect of caring for a child.”
As well, the parents could be young and without family support, but Romano said it’s impossible to draw any conclusions, given the limited information provided by police since the baby was discovered on Sunday.
Investigators continued their search for the child’s parents Tuesday. Spokeswoman Const. Dianne Penfound said police are interviewing potential witnesses and seeking surveillance video in the 6000 block of Quinpool Road, which is lined with smaller retail outlets and restaurants.
As well, Penfound said police are working with the provincial Community Services Department and local hospitals to identify the baby, described by police as African-Canadian and believed to be about a month old.
The infant was found wrapped in a blanket just before 5 p.m., when the temperature was hovering around an unseasonably warm 14 C.