Baby footage causes uproar amid new claims on time and place of birth
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet
DHA Photo
A teenage girl that made headlines yesterday after footage appeared to show her giving birth as she walked down a street in Istanbul's Bağcılar district may have delivered the baby at home, daily Hürriyet reported. (You may watch the footage here)The baby, a healthy girl who was named Ecem Ahu by hospital staff after she was brought in by police, had her umbilical cord tied up, suggesting that had already been born before earlier believed.
The footage in question depicts a lack of reaction on the part of the girl and her parents after the baby falls onto the street; instead, the three stare at the child on the sidewalk before walking away. Police officials claimed that this was strong evidence that the baby was born beforehand.
If the umbilical cord had been untied, the bleeding from it could have killed the baby, according to experts.
The parents, who are seen walking with the girl, said they did not know their daughter was pregnant. They were released after initial questioning.
‘I thought it was a blood clot’
Ecem Ahu is in good health. AA Photo
The mother also said she had not noticed the baby as it fell on the pavement, adding that she thought it was a blood clot.
"Something fell from me," she reportedly said during questioning. "I thought it was a blood clot. I didn't know it was the baby."
After the baby fell, she returned home, changed into clean clothes and went to a hospital where the remaining parts were removed from her body, according to the testimony.
She requested that the child be given to a state agency, Hürriyet reported.
Rape claims
Initial reports identified the father as her 17-year-old boyfriend from the same neighborhood, but allegations of rape have since added to the controversy.
The older brother of the boyfriend, as well as a friend of the older brother, allegedly raped the teenager after learning that she had had sex with her boyfriend, threatening to tell her parents about it unless she complied.
The older brother was soon arrested on charges related to drug possession, while the friend has left Istanbul to conduct military service.
