Apr 13, 2007 9:36 pm US/Central
Safe Haven Law Would Have Been Option For Teen
by Darcy Pohland
(WCCO)
-
-
Minnesota hospitals have been safe havens since the law went into effect seven years ago.
A Twin Cities teenager, accused of killing her newborn baby, faced the charges against her Friday in court.
Bail for 17-year-old Nicole Beecroft was set at $1 million. She didn't say anything in court, and was returned to juvenile custody.
Police say the Oakdale teen gave birth to a baby girl at home. An autopsy showed the baby was born alive, but died after she was stabbed 135 times before being thrown into a garbage can.
Beecroft later confessed to police that she killed her daughter.
Now some people are wondering why Beecroft didn't use Minnesota's Safe Haven law. It allows new mothers to leave a newborn up to three days old at any hospital, with no questions asked. Many teens however, are not aware the law even exists.
"You think they'd advertise more about giving girls more options but they don't, it's like something unspoken of," said Sibley High School Senior Jinsil Hwang.
"No, I wasn't even aware of that," said Sophomore Heather Walsh when asked about the law.
Minnesota hospitals have been safe havens since the law went into effect seven years ago.
"There is no reason to have a baby in a dumpster, truly. You bring the baby to the emergency room, leave it with the personnel, you turn around and walk out," said Fairview Ridges Hospital new born care manager Susan Shaft.
Educators are the ones who need to pass the information along for the law to provide the benefit it was designed for.
"We really haven't addressed as far as an integral part of our curriculum here at Sibley," said health teacher Lee Huenecke
Sibley is not alone in that respect. Many districts do not. Students and health professionals agree more needs to be done.
"Inform the kids in their health program that they have that option," said Walsh.
"If it's posters in all the girls bathrooms, talking about it, keeping open discussions working with the public health to spread the message," said school nurse Jenny Munson.
Safe Haven education was originally intended to be promoted in schools and elsewhere. It has suffered difficulties in find adequate funding to do so however.
Since 2000, 15 newborns have been brought to hospitals and all of them have been adopted.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
