Gone Baby Gone
At 7:30 on a Monday morning, a teenage girl holding a newborn baby approached a bus stop in Sacramento. The bus stop is only a few miles from the California state capitol building, where a law called the “SSB” was enacted—the safely surrendered baby law. The SSB allows a desperate mother to give up an unwanted baby within three days of birth, no questions asked, no prosecution for child abandonment, and hopefully no infant left in a trash dumpster, the kind of tragic scenario the law was designed to discourage.
So when the teenager—strawberry blond and about 16—appeared at the bus stop and asked a kind stranger to hold her baby while she fixed a bottle, perhaps she thought she was doing the right thing as she slipped away forever…safely surrendering her infant son. The stranger called the police. The police took the 7 pound boy to a hospital, where he was determined to be in good health, one to two days old.
But even though the police initially said the teenager tried to “do the right thing”, the law says she can be arrested and prosecuted for felony child endangerment because the only legally recognized SSB sites in Sacramento are hospital emergency rooms and fire stations. Bus stops don’t qualify. So the police are asking for the public’s help in identifying the teenage mother, who could go to jail for essentially choosing a bus stop over a dumpster.
If doing the right thing in this case wasn’t the legal thing, is the greater failure with the mother or the law?
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old enough to know better
As a proud mother of four, I had my first child at 17. Yes, you are very scared, and things are hard. That girl might have been 16 and very confused true; but handing the baby over to a stanger was not the right thing to do. Strangers these days aren’t what they use to be. As far as not charging the girl because it might make more babies end up in dumpsters, because the girl give her baby to a stranger. The girl might as well put the baby in the dumpster because the stranger could have been a bad person. Girls these days don’t deserve freedom if they have responsibilities to lay up and make babies, KNOWING at 16 that’s wrong!! I think she should serve whatever time the judge sentences. As much help as the government will pretty much give anybody, she should have know better. Maybe it will teach teenage girls all around to stay in school, and leave those boys alone…
Melissa Hyatt | 1 year, 12 months ago
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My thought
I think the girl should have gone to a hospital or fire station instead of a bus station. How did she know that this stranger would not harm the baby. At least the baby is safe though.
Noel Reel | 1 year, 12 months ago
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What I think...
I agree that what she did was way better than leaving the child in a dumpster, but I don’t think she made the best decision. So many things could have happened to that baby and she should have some punishment for what she did along with some counseling. Having a child is a very overwhelming experience and she was probably very confused and scared. I think this girl needs some help and maybe some sort of probation or to be commited somewhere to be evlauated. I also agree that if she is punished to the full extent it would scare other young girls. We need to teach young girls about the laws and let them know about pregnancy prevention.
Evelyb | 1 year, 11 months ago
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Stupid Law
First what does it matter the babies age? Why only up to 3 days old? It shouldn’t matter if the baby was a year if someone feels they can no longer take on the responsibility of a child they should be able to drop that child off somewhere safe so, the child doesn’t end up abused somewhere. Also, the teenage mother did the RIGHT thing. It shouldn’t matter if it wasn’t a firehouse or hospital. I am sure she feels bad enough giving up her baby. My question is where are HER parents? They should have been there to help this girl out.
Amanda Mitchell | 1 year, 11 months ago
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Reality is tough...
Although other commentors are correct in that the issue doesn’t begin with the teen abandoning her child, she does have responsibility to do the moral thing for herself and her child. Unfortunately, as is often stated, ignorance is no excuse for violating the law regardless of age and whether that law is viewed as good or bad. If the 16-year old is old enough to make the decision (right or wrong) to have a sexual relationship, then she is also ultimately responsible for dealing with those consequences, as difficult as they may be, including doing what is right for her child. Giving the baby to a stranger means that she does not have to face the tough questions that would be asked if she went through proper channels to place her child with a safe house, nor does she have to provide what information she has regarding the child’s genetic/biological history – something that is becoming more and more necessary due to the prevalence of drugs, genetic illnesses, etc. Although she made sure (at least in her mind)that the child was “surrendered” and not “abandoned”, she was not responsible in her method of doing so, nor responsible in her neglecting to provide any history that her child may need in the future. When she chose to behave in a grown-up fashion – i.e. having sex – then she chose to accept ALL of the grown-up consequences and responsibilities that go with it. Although prosecuting as a felony may be too harsh, she does need to be found, held accountable, and provide whatever knowledge regarding her child’s history that she has.
Marney Cullen | 1 year, 11 months ago
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It's Never Right To End A Life
Your advice is the absolute worst one. What kind of example is it to give this young girl that she can just snuff out the life of an innocent child and walk away? What if your mother had decided to do what you are advising when she was carrying you? Where would you be now? Think about it! No, I do not advocate teaching young people about abortion. It’s the easy, brutal way out.
Margaret | 1 year, 11 months ago
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Smart One
Well I do not agree with you. Yes the girl gave birth to a child but maybe she felt that she would do harm to it if it was in her care so she did what she thought was right and gave it to someone else. You can’t say what if the stranger hurt or killed it because they did not. The girl did the right thing and should not be punished but recognized as a smart one.
sonya moyer | 1 year, 11 months ago
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The right thing?
I’m not sure what the mother thought was the right thing. Obviously it was to give her child to a complete stranger and run. Does it make it ok that she thought it was the right thing? Most certainly not in my eyes. I believe that if someone thinks they are mature enough to have sex and play house they should have to raise their child. Sure what she did was better that throwing the child in a dumpster and leaving it to die, but we are teaching young girls that it’s ok to go out and have sex and give their children away. What happened to having morals? What happened to people teaching thoes morals to their kids? If you are someone who has no problem with their teenage daughter having sex or know you can’t control it – how about birth control. There are too many other options to say that this is the least bit acceptable. (this is going to sound like a commercial but) Talk to your kids about sex!
melissa clark | 1 year, 11 months ago
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Generations
I don’t think teenage pregnancies need to result in teenage parenting for the sake of “teaching the girl a lesson.” Teenage parenting should be a product of the girl and boy deciding together to marry and support the family they created. Every child deserves to be raised by a mother and a father. The lessons of heartache and changed perspective from teen pregnancy can be realized just as successfully through adoption into a healthy family that has been desiring children. In that situation, the child is not labeled a mere “punishment for a mistake,” but rather a “blessing in disguise.”
Joseph Jackson | 1 year, 11 months ago
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To What Standards do We hold the Youth?
I sympathize for the girl, but the fact is, she left an infant with a stranger. Do I think she needs to be charged with a felony, no. But the simple fact that “at least she didn’t murder it or throw it in a dumpster” does not make her unaccountable for what she DID do, which is leave it at a bus stop with God knows who. Being 16 and scared, does not excuse every action. If there is a story behind this, which I’m sure is the case, then it needs to be explained to the proper authorities. But simply hanging back and not reprimanding behavior like this just encourages it in the future.
tinsldn | 1 year, 11 months ago
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