UN committee concerned about "baby boxes" in Europe
Listen /
Drop boxes in Europe for unwanted babies
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is concerned about the practice of baby hatches or baby boxes in Europe, where newborns can be anonymously abandoned.
The boxes are actually heated incubators that automatically ring when a baby is placed inside. They are located near hospitals and other public places.
The committee says allowing someone to anonymously abandon a child goes against the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which says children must be able to identify their parents.
Proponents say baby boxes save lives.
Julie Walker spoke with Dr Maria Herczog, a sociologist and member of the UN Children’s Rights Committee about why they are speaking out against baby boxes.
Duration 4'33"
