Safe Haven Laws in Canada
Tracey Russell 0

Safe Haven Laws in Canada

489 signers. Add your name now!
Tracey Russell 0 Comments
489 signers. Almost there! Add your voice!
95%
Maxine K. signed just now
Adam B. signed just now

Safe Haven is a US law that protects the rights of newborn babies. It allows (in some states) a birth mother or father the chance to leave their newborn at local hospitals, fire stations and police stations without the fear of being prosecuted by law. They do not have to give their names or any other personal information. Now in Canada there are no such laws. Now I know what some of you might be thinking. What about the medical history of these newborns. In some states in the US the mothers are allowed to drop off any medical history to a hospital so that the newborn can have the chance to learn their family medical history, but its optional. And some of you might be thinking that we are just taking the easy way out in regards to actually teaching our children about sex and pregnancy. But the truth is that 13 years old is the new 16.. and as scary as that sounds its the truth. Now in 1999, Texas was the first state to enact a safe haven law. By the middle of 2006, only Alaska, Hawaii, the District of Columbia, and Nebraska were without safe haven laws. Here are just a few horrible examples of why we want to put this law into effect in Canada...Information taken from the Canadian Press 2006 Katrina Effert, 20, is accused of strangling her baby last year with a pair of her thong underwear and dumping his body over a neighbour's fence within hours of secretly giving birth in the basement of her parents' Wetaskiwin, Alta., home. Melanie Sheila Murphy, 21: left her baby daughter in garbage bag at the college she was attending in Camrose, Alta. Given suspended sentence in 1998 for infanticide and ordered to perform 75 hours of community service. Shelley Netter, 26: left her baby daughter in garbage bag on her Edmonton doorstep. Originally charged with infanticide, but received three-year suspended sentence in 1998 after pleading guilty to failing to provide the necessities of life. Leanne Wise, 27: delivered her baby in a washroom at the Calgary bingo hall where she worked, dumped it in a trash can and then went back to her job. Received 18-month suspended sentence in 2000 for disposing of the dead body with intent to conceal its delivery. Kelly Lynn Rector, 19: gave birth in a bingo hall washroom in Brantford, Ont., and left the infant in a toilet bowl. Granted absolute discharge after pleading guilty to concealing the body of a newborn. And the most recent... A woman abandoned her baby after giving birth in a Wal-Mart in Prince Albert and He was found head first in a toilet. The baby boy was taken to hospital in Saskatoon and thank the Lord he was alive. Tom Atwood of the National Council for Adoption said, Just how many babies do these laws have to rescue from death in a dumpster in order to be worthwhile. And I couldnât have said it better myself. Now we have set this petition into the arms of our friends on the world wide web to help us get a Safe Haven law passed in Canada. We are not condoning the actions of these mothers, nor are we saying that it is ok to do such horrible things we are simply looking out for the newborn babies that have been affected by these unfortunate circumstances. So please sign our petition June 1, 2007

Share for Success

Comment

489

Signatures