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Fri, 20 Aug 2010
PORT MORESBY, PNG (The National) --- Young mothers in Papua New Guinea’s East New Britain are selling new-born babies at the Kokopo market for money to sustain their daily needs, reports The National newspaper.
Kokopo town mayor Albert Buanga made the revelation after receiving two cases where two young women in their early 20s, sold their infants to a local family.
Buanga said the young mothers were single and had wanted to discard their unwanted babies by selling them cheaply for cash.
This, he said, was illegal and against Christian teachings and principles. According to the mayor, the transaction of cash sale for the babies had been between K100 and K150 which, he added, was a cheap and fast way of getting rid of the infants.
Buanga condemned this type of business which he described as immoral and portrayed total disrespect for the souls of the newborns.
A senior welfare officer interviewed regarding the issue also condemned the act by the young women.
“Lives cannot be sold as a commodity; biblically it is wrong. It is bad for society and labels the society as corrupt,” he said.
Babies, he said, should not be victimised in such a way. He said children’s lives should be protected and not commercialised.
The officer urged the division of community development in the province to seriously look into the matter and address it promptly. He said awareness on unwanted pregnancies should be conducted immediately.
The police sexual offences squad in Kokopo also confirmed the reports, saying that the first case was reported earlier this year. The case involved a young mother who sold her newborn baby for K500 to a family from Bitavavar village in the
Police intervened and told the family to return the baby or make legal arrangements through the civil
court for adoption.
Several mothers The National spoke to at the new Kokopo market confirmed that they had seen two young women with the infants at the market just before midday yesterday.
They had informed other women that they were selling the infants for prices ranging between K100 and K150.
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