Parents abandon twins to go on drinking spree
Paramedics who arrived on the scene established that the toddlers were showing signs of malnutrition and dehydration, and were exposed to the cold of the late night.
ESTER KAMATI
WINDHOEK
Twin boys were discovered on the Havana informal settlement gravel road on Friday while their parents partied the night away. The one-year-old boys were said to be in a terrible state when discovered by the City Police – cold, hungry and scared.
According to City Police’s Fabian Amukwelele, the incident happened around 23:00 on Friday, when neighbours discovered the toddlers and informed the police after taking them out of harm’s way.
The EMed Rescue 24 Namibia team was able to establish that the children were showing signs of malnutrition, had not eaten in days and were allegedly bloated.
The children, who were not dressed warmly, suffered from environmental exposure to the cold and seemed dehydrated, according to Amukwelele. The neighbours showed the police were the children live - in a shack rented by their parents who were nowhere in sight. Concerned neighbours told police that the parents were on a drinking spree. The door to the shack was left open, while the children were found on a gravel road, vulnerable to motorists who probably would not have spotted them in the dark.
Drunk off Tombo
Amukwelele said it would not have been possible for the children to leave the shack by themselves as they cannot walk, and where they were discovered was some distance from their home.
Police could not establish the parents’ names or ages, but investigations into the matter continue.
After assessment at the scene, the toddlers were taken to the Katutura State Hospital where they have been kept for observation since Friday.
On the way to hospital, the boys’ father was allegedly spotted under the influence of Tombo - a Namibian traditional brew - while their mother was still nowhere to be found.
“He was heavily intoxicated,” Amukwelele said.
The following day, he followed up with the children and discovered that their parents had not gone to see them at the hospital.
He said the children will see a social worker today who will then guide the way forward. Statements will be collected from neighbours to establish whether the boys can be returned into their parents’ care, while a case of child neglect is being considered.
[email protected]
WINDHOEK
Twin boys were discovered on the Havana informal settlement gravel road on Friday while their parents partied the night away. The one-year-old boys were said to be in a terrible state when discovered by the City Police – cold, hungry and scared.
According to City Police’s Fabian Amukwelele, the incident happened around 23:00 on Friday, when neighbours discovered the toddlers and informed the police after taking them out of harm’s way.
The EMed Rescue 24 Namibia team was able to establish that the children were showing signs of malnutrition, had not eaten in days and were allegedly bloated.
The children, who were not dressed warmly, suffered from environmental exposure to the cold and seemed dehydrated, according to Amukwelele. The neighbours showed the police were the children live - in a shack rented by their parents who were nowhere in sight. Concerned neighbours told police that the parents were on a drinking spree. The door to the shack was left open, while the children were found on a gravel road, vulnerable to motorists who probably would not have spotted them in the dark.
Drunk off Tombo
Amukwelele said it would not have been possible for the children to leave the shack by themselves as they cannot walk, and where they were discovered was some distance from their home.
Police could not establish the parents’ names or ages, but investigations into the matter continue.
After assessment at the scene, the toddlers were taken to the Katutura State Hospital where they have been kept for observation since Friday.
On the way to hospital, the boys’ father was allegedly spotted under the influence of Tombo - a Namibian traditional brew - while their mother was still nowhere to be found.
“He was heavily intoxicated,” Amukwelele said.
The following day, he followed up with the children and discovered that their parents had not gone to see them at the hospital.
He said the children will see a social worker today who will then guide the way forward. Statements will be collected from neighbours to establish whether the boys can be returned into their parents’ care, while a case of child neglect is being considered.
[email protected]
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