Proper burial for baby abandoned in lavatory

Press, 27 October 1976, Page 6

Proper burial for baby abandoned in lavatory

PA Invercargill “Karen” — the new-born baby found dead in a lava- I tory at an Invercargill swimming pool a week ago—will 1 be buried after a church ser- i vice on Thursday. She will \ be given a proper burial. This follows unofficial I moves by a member of the j Church of Latter Day Saints. . The member did not wish to be identified, for fear of be- i ing labelled a "publicity! seeker.” Acting on her own. the, woman discussed the baby's! death with other women■ members of her church, and then made inquiries to seel what she could do about see- 1 ing that the baby got a de-, cent burial. She met with full cooperation from the Coroner. ! (.Mr G. S. NobleJKthe police,

and the Society for the Pro-: tection of the Unborn Child, which, she said, had said it was willing to pay the cost of a cemetery plot. She also ;tried to have the baby adopted as one of her children! ; (she has two youngsters), but this was not legally pos-l ‘sible. ’ However. under her I church's religion, the woman ! ' said, the baby did not need; ■ to be christened before j burial. It is intended to place the' name “Karen” — which; means “pure” — on the! i' baby's casket. I Permission to release the j ■ baby’s body for burial was 1 granted yesterday, and a I funeral service will be held I >at 11 a.m. tomorrow. An inquest into the baby's i /death was opened yesterday,! , and a formal identification ,

■; made of the body by Detect- , ive Campbell Ronald. The t Coroner, adjourned the case t sine die, and released the i body for burial. Detective Ronald said that i under the law, the baby could , I only be buried as "an un- • (identified female baby,” and as such could not be legally (adopted or given a legiti/mate name. Members of the /Invercargill C. 1.8. would • themselves be making a donation towards the burial. Since the discovery of the baby’s body last Wednesday ■ about 40 adults and children (present at the Conon Street (pool have been interviewed. ; The head of the Dunedin i ;C.1.8., Detective Inspector HR. N. McDonald, will travel; ito Invercargill today to as- i Isist local detectives with in-1 Jquiries. , '