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Help is available for pregnant teens Date published: 1/23/2007
Tragedy times two
Robinson pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and felony child neglect and has been sentenced to 20 years, with all but five suspended. After hiding her pregnancy, she delivered the child alone, in a downstairs bathroom at her home. She put the infant in a trash can, then a bag, and placed her in an abandoned car where, uncared for, the baby died. Robinson's back pain and bleeding landed her in the emergency room the next day, where doctors realized she'd had a baby. Neonaticide (killing a newborn during his or her first 24 hours) is a shocking crime. It goes against the grain of all our notions about mothers loving their babies and the miracle of new life. According to a University of California-Berkeley study, mothers who kill their newborns are almost always very young and immature. They often have denied or hidden their pregnancies. They generally give birth alone, may panic upon delivery, and may even experience intermittent psychosis or temporary amnesia. Their babies die of neglect or may be actively murdered. Robinson was only 15 when the baby was born, too young even to drive. It's a shame she didn't know about the resources available to pregnant teens in this area. It's a shame, too, that someone in her life--a friend, a teacher, even the baby's father--didn't pick up on her pregnancy and show her a better path. Every teen--and adult--should know about Virginia's Safe Haven program. Parents can hand over a baby up to 14 days old to personnel at a hospital, police station, or 24-hour rescue squad, no questions asked. As long as it's obvious the parent was concerned with the child's safety, authorities will not prosecute.
1. Be respectful. No personal attacks.
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