5-10-07

On the first day of a program in Japan offering an anonymous drop box for unwanted babies, a father stunned people by leaving his 3-year-old child at the ‘baby drop.’

The Roman Catholic-run Jikei hospital in the southern city of Kumamoto, started the program known as “stork’s cradle,” to discourage abortions and the abandonment of children in unsafe public places. According to reports, the boy (believed to be three years of age) said he “came with daddy” and was left by his father, who was seen holding the child’s hand as they approached the hospital. The boy was able to identify himself by name, but it was unclear whether the father had been identified, according to local media sources.

Prime minister Shinzo Abe urged parents to consult social workers for help if raising children get’s too tough. “Anonymously throwing out a child is unacceptable,” he said. The incident sparked outrage and debate throughout Japan.