Mother of Baby Rescued in Sewage Pipe Regains Custody, Father Identified

International   |   Steven Ertelt   |   May 30, 2013   |   10:30AM   |   Beijing, China

The mother of the baby who has received international attention after he was flushed down the toilet and found in a sewage pipe has regained custody of the child.

The unnamed mother claims the incident was an accident. She also claims she wanted an abortion but was unable to afford one.

Now, new reports show she has regained custody as police officials believed her story. They also may have found the identity of the father.

Authorities in China on Thursday gave back a baby boy to a mother who had flushed him down the toilet, entrapping him in the pipe.

The baby was just 2 days old when residents of an apartment community discovered him trapped inside a sewage pipe, The Associated Press reported. The newborn was freed, taken to the hospital and treated, and he’s reportedly in stable condition, various media reported.

Police, in the meantime, scoured the area for the parents. The mother ultimately came forward and confessed — after police confronted her with bloody articles of clothing and baby toys — but said she had flushed the baby by accident.

Wednesday, police said they believed her story, and no criminal charges were pending.

The mother, 22, is single. Local authorities may have identified the father, who has insisted on a paternity test. If he is the father, it’s not clear if he will provide ongoing care for the baby, AP reported.

The baby, now 6 pounds, 2.8 ounces, is recovering from minor scratches from his ordeal, but is now back with his mother at their Pujiang area home, AP reported.

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