The last thing aircraft personnel were expecting to find upon arrival in Jakarta, Indonesia was a newborn dead and abandoned.
On January 6, Saturday, Etihad airways staff were stunned to find a lifeless newborn wrapped in plastic, stuffed inside a drawer of the plane’s toilet.
The aircraft had just travelled from Abu Dhabi to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport near Jakarta.
According to the Jakarta Post, the plane was first diverted to Bangkok after a woman experienced bleeding, about four hours after take off.
A medical team removed her from the plane at Suvarnabhumi International Airport.
The aircraft then proceeded to Jakarta about an hour later.
Newborn dead was already full term (Image source: pexels.com)
Newborn dead, suspected mum was a domestic helper in Abu Dhabi
The woman who was evacuated in Bangkok was later suspected to be the dead newborn’s mother.
The suspected mum Hani, 37, of West Java, Indonesia was working as a domestic helper in Abu Dhabi.
After a medical team in Bangkok tended to her, Hani travelled home to Jakarta on a later flight.
Upon questioning, Hani confessed that she was the mum of the dead newborn. She also revealed that the father of her baby was her employer in Abu Dhabi.
Hani has a husband and two children living in Indonesia.
Hani’s case is not an isolated one
Channel News Asia estimates that five million Indonesians are currently working abroad.
Of this number, about 70 percent are women working as domestic helpers.
Over the years, there have been several reports of domestic helpers getting pregnant, either through consensual relationships or through sexual violence.
Sadly, Hani’s case is not an isolated one. Back in 2016, a domestic helper also abandoned her baby on a plane.
We can neither judge nor justify these women’s choices, but it is important to know how to handle this situation.
If you employ a domestic helper in Singapore, you must be aware that they are not allowed to get pregnant unless they are married to a Singapore permanent resident or citizen.
In the event that they do get pregnant, their employer has to report it to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
After providing the necessary details, the maid’s work permit will be cancelled.
You can refer to these organisations for support:
- Pregnancy Crisis Service Singapore
- Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations
- Association of Women for Action and Research
sources: The Jakarta Post, Newsweek, Channel News Asia
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