Poland's children's ombudsman defends baby hatches

Baby hatches, also referred to as 'windows of life', provide the opportunity for anonymous mothers to abandon newborns. Dozens exist in Poland and they are chiefly maintained by monasteries, nunneries and orphanages.

According to the CRS, baby hatches “violate a child's right to an identity.”

The CRS has argued that a preferable last resort is for women to be able to give birth semi-anonymously in a hospital. The mother's identity would be filed for posterity, allowing the child the possibility to confirm its identity at the age of 16 or over, a practice carried out in Germany.

Poland's children's ombudsman Marek Michalak has acknowledged that baby hatches are not the best solution, and that it would be better for mothers to go to a hospital, court or an adoption agency.

“However, if a child is to be abandoned in a forest or another dangerous place, then of course a 'window of life' is a better choice,” he argued.

Michalak noted that mothers may not be familiar with alternatives to baby hatches, and that they may also be preoccupied by other fears.

In September, Poland presented its report on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child before the CRS in Geneva. The CRS's subsequent recommendations for EU member states are not legally binding.

Abortion

Poland's laws only permit abortions if a woman's life or health is jeopardised by the continuation of a pregnancy, if the pregnancy is a result of a criminal act such as rape, or if the foetus is seriously malformed.

The abortion must be carried out in the first 25 weeks of the pregnancy.

(nh/rk)

Source: PAP