Newborn Abducted

[LadyStardust]

Newborn snatched from Sudbury, Ont., hospital; suspect captured on video
2 hours ago

http://canadianpress.google.com/arti...E3j3kaxEn4vq4Q

SUDBURY, Ont. - Police in this northern Ontario city were on the hunt Thursday for a woman who was seen on a surveillance video apparently abducting a baby girl from a local hospital.

Police issued an Amber Alert for the newborn shortly after she was reported missing from St. Joseph's Health Centre at about 12:30 p.m.

An Amber Alert is issued when police believe a child has been abducted and may be in danger.

"If the child is not in the hospital, I think there's always a concern, especially for a newborn," Sudbury police Const. Bert Lapalme said.

An image from a hospital surveillance camera shows the unidentified woman carrying what appears to be a swaddled infant. The suspect was apparently wearing white hospital scrubs, and police say that points to a premeditated decision.

"We don't believe she's an employee there," Lapalme said. "The uniform was pretty much to go along with the plan, we suspect."

Police described the woman as aboriginal, five-foot-six, slim and between 26 and 30 years old.

She was wearing white pants, a white V-neck shirt and a black sweater, and had her black hair in a ponytail.

The Caucasian baby has dark hair, bruising on her face, was wearing a white flannel hospital gown, and was wrapped in a white blanket.

The woman is not related to the infant and it is not known why this particular baby was taken, Lapalme said.

The baby is believed to have been born in the last couple of days, and the mother is believed to still be in the hospital, he said.

About 100 police officers were posted along highways leading out of Sudbury, and they were searching all vehicles for the suspect and infant.

The hospital stepped up security at 1 p.m. after the baby was reported missing.

No one was allowed in or out of the facility until 3 p.m., when people with proper identification were permitted to leave.

The hospital was not admitting visitors Thursday night.

Police scoured the city in hopes of finding the woman and the baby, and believe they may have taken public transportation.

Local transit services were delayed as police searched for the suspect.



But wait, there's more:


Amber Alert cancelled after newborn recovered
Updated Thu. Nov. 1 2007 11:08 PM ET

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories

CTV.ca News Staff

Police in Ontario have cancelled an Amber Alert after a newborn baby who went missing from St. Joseph's hospital in Sudbury on Thursday was recovered.

Sudbury Police on Thursday night said the baby was healthy and was being assessed at a hospital in Kirkland Lake, Ont., near Sudbury.

"We are currently in the process of reuniting the child and her parents," said Insp. Robert Keetch.

Nineteen-year-old Brenda Batisse, who allegedly took the baby girl, has been arrested and is facing abduction charges.

Police say they made the arrest after receiving tips from the public.

Authorities called the incident a "non-familial abduction."

Sudbury police Const. Bert LaPalme told CTV Newsnet earlier on Thursday that the woman they were looking for was not a hospital employee.

LaPalme alleged the woman may have pretended to be a hospital staff member.

"There was interaction between herself and the mother of the child. While in the room with the mother and the baby, while the mother was distracted, the suspect managed to leave with the child," he said.

The woman walked away from the hospital and may have used public transit to get away, police said. Local transit was delayed for a short period while police looked for the baby.

Police also set up road checks along highways leading out of Sudbury. Some 100 officers were taking part in the road checks and were searching all vehicles leaving the city.

The hospital also increased security checks after the baby went missing. No one was allowed to enter or leave the hospital for a few hours.

"It's extremely rare, thankfully, in Canada. I am aware of three infant abductions from hospitals taken by Hospitals since 1990," said Barbara Snider of the Missing Children Society of Canada.

In the vast majority of infant abduction cases, the suspect is a woman. Often in such cases, the woman is someone who has lost a child or can't have one.




This is from my hometown, too. Gives me the creeps.

[drewsilla]

That's crazy!!! At least the little baby has been found. If I had been the mom I would have been on a killing spree until I got my baby back!

[Nevan]

Good thing they found the baby! But still, it's frightening to think that someone could just walk out of there with a child - just like that.

[Tam Li Hua]

Egad! That poor mom!

I have to wonder -why- she took it. Perhaps she lost a baby herself..?

[LadyStardust]

Well, like the article says, "In the vast majority of infant abduction cases, the suspect is a woman. Often in such cases, the woman is someone who has lost a child or can't have one."

It doesn't mention exactly why this woman did it, though. I'm sure it will come out eventually though, once she goes to trial.

[CyberTiger]

well when my wife and I had our son, the hospital wouldn't even let the parents into the room until certain hours of the 1st day. And after that the rooms were security key entry only. But I understand not many places are as large as the place we went to or as large of a city. And this can make a big difference.

[Delkaetre]

CyberTiger, please go make an intro thread.

[LadyStardust]

An update: So far, she's been denied bail, but her lawyer's appealing that. Still no info on WHY she did it, though.

[CptSternn]

In Ireland all babies stay with their mothers in the hospital unlike America. They put them right beside the beds in their wee cots. Also, all babies have ankle bracelets, like criminals, that sound an alarm if taken outside of the ward they are staying in - plus have GPS to track them.

You think other countries would do something like this with all the babies being stolen/switched/etc. these days...

[Wormboy]

Originally Posted by CptSternn

In Ireland all babies stay with their mothers in the hospital unlike America.

Sternn, the story is in Canada.

[LadyStardust]

Originally Posted by Wormboy

Sternn, the story is in Canada.

I think a lot of our policies here in Canada are far more similar to those in the States than in Irish hospitals. The only birth I've been privy too had a lot of complications, though, so I'm not sure how a standard Canadian hospital birth goes.

[Delkaetre]

To be accurate and offer Sternn a little leeway, America's a continent. The United States of America's the country.

[LadyStardust]

Originally Posted by Delkaetre

To be accurate and offer Sternn a little leeway, America's a continent. The United States of America's the country.

Hee hee. I guess we're all the same on this side of the Ocean, eh Sternn?

[Wormboy]

Originally Posted by Delkaetre

To be accurate and offer Sternn a little leeway, America's a continent. The United States of America's the country.

Yes, I'm aware. I have great doubt he meant that though.

[Delkaetre]

I doubted it myself. But I figured- why not be generous, just this once?

[CptSternn]

Either or. Canada and America don't use such a system, and both have similar problems because of their lack of it.

[LadyStardust]

Originally Posted by CptSternn

Either or. Canada and America don't use such a system, and both have similar problems because of their lack of it.

It's a lovely system. I take it there aren't any funding issues for health care in Ireland? It's a big one here in Canada.

[CptSternn]

There is to some extent, but that being said there was a multi-million dollar surplus last year ,so people are asking why are certain areas underfunded if our health system is running a huge budget surplus?

They claim to have fixed it this year (the budget came out yesterday, so it's still under review).

[prophecyofdoom]

Thank heavens that little baby was returned okay... When I was in the hospital having my little'uns I had a huge nervous panic attack every time they took the baby out of my sight... I opted to have the baby in the room with me at night even though the nurses encouraged me to have them take him to the nursery so I could rest, and I barely put the baby down long enough to change my clothes or have a shower. The nurses were a bit irked by this, I think, and made rather irritated remarks that mine was the only baby in the ward that didn't go "in" for the night. As exhausted as I was, I wouldn't have been able to sleep worrying that something terrible would happen when the baby was out of my sight. Even now I hate leaving them in other people's care. Because unless they're right in front of you, you just don't know. The way I see it, even the most responsible caregivers get distracted, no one has the right mix of adoration and vigilance towards them except for ME.

[LadyStardust]

Originally Posted by prophecyofdoom

The way I see it, even the most responsible caregivers get distracted, no one has the right mix of adoration and vigilance towards them except for ME.

You know, I think that philosophy is poorly lacking in today's society.

[Crying_Crimson_Tears]

Wow, I am so glad the baby is safe and sound. I feel so sorry for the terror her parents must have gone through.