Bodies of two newborns found in dumpster

AMMAN — Police on Wednesday said they were investigating the death of two newborns whose bodies were found in a dumpster in an Amman neighbourhood late Tuesday night.

A boy searching for scrap metal in a dumpster near Prince Hamzah Hospital found a dead infant wrapped in a blanket and placed in a box and alerted authorities, Public Security Department Spokesperson Major Amer Sartawi said.

When coroners and investigators arrived at the scene to examine the body and collect evidence they found a second infant also wrapped in a blanket and placed in a box, he added.

Coroners estimated that the baby boys were between hours and a few days old, according to the police official.

“We suspect that the two infants are twins but we referred their bodies to Prince Hamzah Hospital for autopsy,” Sartawi told The Jordan Times.

Crime lab experts took blood and tissue samples from the bodies for further analysis and DNA testing, he added.

An official at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine refused to reveal the outcome of the autopsy.

“I cannot reveal any information about the autopsy results because the investigation is ongoing,” the official told The Jordan Times.

A study released in late 2009 on the reasons behind the abandonment of newborn children in the country indicated that the issue has not reached the level of a phenomenon.

The study said one reason for the occurrence is the low religious deterrence level in society due to changes in values, which were affected by development and openness to other communities with liberal values.

In addition, most of the cases reported in Jordan involved guest workers, the study said.