Newborn baby critically injured after fall from refugee shelter in The Hague
A two-week old boy was critically injured on Friday after falling out from a second-story window of a Salvation Army facility in The Hague. The baby was rushed to a hospital, and his 32-year-old mother was taken into police custody for questioning.
The incident happened at about 10 a.m. on Jacob Catsstraat, police said. Police and paramedics raced to the scene, as did a trauma team traveling by helicopter.
People on the street guided police to the seriously injured baby, who was found alongside the De Schildershoek. The former nursing home was a Salvation Army homeless shelter, and for the past year has been used to shelter about 350 Ukrainian refugees, according to the facility's website. Authorities did not disclose other biographical details about the woman, such as her nationality, or if she is a resident of the facility.
"There is speculation about the cause [of the fall] on social media, and in reports about the incident. At the moment, however, the circumstances are still unclear and this is being investigated by the detectives," police said Friday afternoon.
Police did confirm that the woman was the only person in the home when authorities arrived to investigate how the baby fell out of the open window. Detectives were searching for witnesses who saw the fall, or anyone with relevant information about the case.
“We are all very shocked,” a spokesperson for the Salvation Army told AD. “Due to privacy and the police investigation, we cannot comment further on the incident at this time."
“There are feelings of sadness and helplessness among residents and employees," Alderman Mariëlle Vavier told the newspaper. She is responsible for poverty, inclusion, and public health issues in the city, as well as the reception of Ukrainian refugees in The Hague. "Our thoughts are with the family members and everyone involved."
Witnesses and others involved will be offered grief counselling and psychological support from Slachtofferhulp Nederland, the police said in a press release.
