Chinese baby dumped in a freezing lift after parents quarrel
Outcry on the internet after surveillance footage shows the child abandoned in apartment block elevator
A quarrelling couple who dumped their baby on the cold, hard floor of a lift in southwestern China in chilly winter temperatures has caused an outcry online, according to a news website.
Surveillance footage shows the angry mother leaving the child in the elevator in Chongqing at her apartment building for an extended period of time before a neighbour finally took the baby to a security guard, the China News Service reported.
Police launched an inquiry into the case, the article said.
The incident happened around 9pm and the elevator floor was almost freezing as temperatures at the time were only a few degrees Celsius.
The child’s life was also endangered as the elevator door frequently opened and closed, the report said.
The footage showed neighbours shocked at seeing the baby crawling on the floor, but unsure of what to do.
The news quickly went viral online and triggered an outcry among internet users.
Many condemned the parents for taking out their rage on the child after their family row. Others criticised the neighbours for not taking action sooner.
One person wrote on social media: “These two people should never be parents. And this apartment has many cold-blooded residents. How could so many ignore a baby as they come in and out of the elevator?”
Another internet user wrote: “What kind of animal mother is she? What if the baby’s tiny arms got caught in a closing door?”
The parents were strongly criticised by the police but would not face prosecution, according to the report.
