A shocking video has emerged out of Saudi Arabia showing a group of men rescuing an abandoned newborn baby that was thrown into a garbage bag and discarded in a dumpster.
The clip, posted below, shows two men approaching a waste bin speaking Arabic. (Captions provided by us.)
Upon hearing mewling sounds inside, one man reaches in and pulls out a discarded, tied garbage bag. Laying it on the ground, he opens it up to reveal a crying newborn baby inside.
While few further details have emerged, one user from Reddit who initially shared the video, u/layth, likewise posted this image purportedly showing the paramedic taking the baby to the ambulance vehicle. (Recording or taking pictures of government officials is illegal in Saudi Arabia, so this one was taken surreptitiously.)
Although we have not been able to corroborate this story and the legitimacy of this video, we are working on locating additional primary sources to confirm the veracity of the incident.
As to why this may have occurred, babies born out of wedlock are strictly taboo in Saudi Arabia, where unmarried women can be prosecuted, jailed, or even killed if they are discovered to be pregnant. According to Rothna Begum, senior women’s rights researcher at Human Rights Watch: “It is a widely known issue that babies are left on the street [In Saudi Arabia]. It is a crime to have children outside of wedlock. If you have managed to escape the authorities noticing you are pregnant, women may choose to abandon babies to avoid crime and punishment, and the stigma and shame of being excluded from their families. “
This story will be updated as it develops.
