KIRISHI, Russia (AP) — A box in which parents can leave their babies anonymously and without any legal risk has opened in a town in northwestern Russia, part of an effort activists hope will save many young lives.
The box in Kirishi is the tenth such facility in Russia, just a fraction of what experts think is needed to help save hundreds of babies abandoned by their mothers each year. One of the most recent cases was reported in St. Petersburg in August, when a man found a 3-day-old baby in a plastic bag. The boy survived and was later adopted.
Cradle of Hope, a group that opened the baby box Wednesday, said it should help attract attention to the issue. A nurse gets alerted once a baby is put in the box.
