News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 5 December.
LISTEN NOW (9:30 mins)
• Pope Francis wraps up visit to Turkey
• World religious leaders unite to end slavery
• 36 Christians killed in Kenya
• Grand Theft Auto 5 is pulled from shelves as Australian Christian Lobby calls for ban
• Tasmanian Senator calls for legalisation of baby safe havens in Australia.
TRANSCRIPT
BOBBIE: Tasmania Labor Senator Helen Polley has renewed calls to introduce baby safe havens to Australia after two babies were found abandoned in as many weeks.
Senator Polley has campaigned for the safe havens for a number of years, but the issue has been brought back to the spotlight after a newborn baby was last month found barely alive in a storm water drain in Sydney’s west. The incident was soon followed by the discovery of another baby buried on a beach under 30 centimeters of sand.
Baby safe havens would provide a mother who is unable to cope with her child the option to hand over child without facing any questioning or incriminations. In a Facebook page set up by Senator Polley she says the safe havens are not meant to be a means to remove responsibility from parents.
“It is about assisting women who are desperate,” the page reads, “women who are not psychologically or emotionally equipped to take care of their babies”.
The safe havens have been rolled out in the United States, Africa, Canada, Japan, China, South Korea, Italy and Germany, among other countries.
Senator Polley has launched a Facebook page and online petition to support the campaign. Visit babysafehavens-senatorhelenpolley.nationbuilder.com to find out more.
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Music Credit: Waking Up by Dexter Britain.
