Officers on duty at Table View Police Station had an unexpected surprise when a woman (23), who had been arrested for alleged shoplifting, gave birth in police holding cells on Thursday morning.
Speaking to IOL, Captain Adriana Chandler of the Table View Police Station said that the woman gave birth to a healthy baby girl. “It was very quick. Police members assisted the woman when she went into labour in one of the holding cells and calmed her until the medics arrived. The station bought the newborn a couple of items and the mother was given a care package from the Victim Support Room, kindly provided by Women Against Rape.”
After the birth, both mother and child were rushed to a nearby hospital and are currently doing well.
“The mother was very grateful to everyone who helped her,” Chandler said.
Police had been called to a Table View shopping mall after a shoplifting complaint was lodged. From there, they had taken the 23-year-old to the police station for routine processing.
“The officers could not tell that she was pregnant. She carried very small,” Chandler said.
As the young woman is in hospital, she has been released from police custody.
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