Police take custody of baby after parents decide they're unable to care for him

The parents of a seven-month-old baby boy handed their child over to police officers in Lelystad after deciding during an argument that they were unable to continue caring for the boy, police said. The officers responded to a report of a domestic disturbance at the home on Wednesday and found the parents in a heated quarrel.

Police did not disclose the reason for the dispute between the two parents, who no longer live together. Details were published by a community police officer in an Instagram post that has since been taken down.

“After an attempt to mediate, both parents expressed feelings that they no longer wanted to care for the child,” police claimed. The situation was “harrowing,” but officers quickly decided that the best thing to do for the child’s welfare was to bring the baby to the police station.

Workers from Veilig Thuis were brought in for assistance. The organization provides consultation on issues related to child abuse, child endangerment, and domestic violence. The group advised placing the baby with a guardian at another location in the Netherlands.

"Parents were emotional but agreed to Veilig Thuis’s option,” police said.

"With a bottle of milk, a pack of diapers, and as many as ten open-hearted colleagues, we took good care of the child in the few hours he stayed with us.”

Police later said they regretted the manner in which details about the incident were released. They said they would hold internal discussions about how they can release more information in a sensitive way.