A 13-year-old from Baker gave birth to a baby and attempted to hide the birth by dropping the child off to a teacher, police have said.
Baker Police said that the baby was found at the front door of a teacher’s home in Baker and the umbilical cord was still on the baby.
“[The child] was fully healthy,” after the child was checked out, Chief Carl Dunn said.
According to police officers, the young girl did not know she was pregnant until she gave birth on Sunday morning around five o’clock.
Shocked, the teen tried to hide the pregnancy by cleaning up blood and dropping the child off to a teacher she knew stayed nearby.
Police said that the girl – who was not identified – gave birth to the child herself then “tried her best to clean it up.”
“She didn’t have a clue about what to do with the child, so she thought about the school teacher,” Dunn said.
The parents had absolutely no idea their child was pregnant, police said.
The teacher, who was also not identified by police, said there was a knock at the front door and when answered, the child was found.
“When she opened her door, the baby was on the step,” Dunn added.
The child weighed 5 pounds, 12 ounces and is in the custody of the state at the moment.
Authorities said they are still investigating the incident but it appears the father is also a 13-year-old.
What exactly does the Louisiana safe haven law state?
According to U.S Legal:
Safe Haven laws in Louisiana provide a mechanism whereby any parent may relinquish the care of an infant to the state. Parents may relinquish their infants in safe hands preserving their anonymity, and without fear of prosecution.[i]
In Louisiana, Safe Haven laws permit parents to leave their infant not more than 30 days old and not subject to any child abuse or neglect, in the care of any employee of a designated emergency care facility. According to La. Ch.C. Art. 1150(2), “designated emergency care facility” means any hospital licensed in the state of Louisiana, any public health unit, any emergency medical service provider, any medical clinic, any fire station, any police station, any pregnancy crisis center, or any child advocacy center. In cases where the parent is unable to travel to such a facility, he/she has the option to call “911”. On making a call, a law enforcement officer or emergency medical service provider shall immediately be dispatched. Such officers shall meet the parent and transport the child to a hospital.[ii]
Every designated emergency care facility shall appoint as its representative one or more employees on duty during regular business hours. The person appointed as the representative shall be a person aware of the requirements of the Safe Haven laws. Additionally, each facility shall also designate a representative who can be reached by emergency telephone service.[iii] If the infant is relinquished to a designated emergency care facility other than a hospital, the staff of the facility shall immediately transfer the infant to a hospital. [iv] After accepting custody of the infant, the representative shall immediately notify the Louisiana Department of Social Services. [v]