In India, a 20-day-old baby girl miraculously survived after being buried alive. She is now in hospital fighting for her life.
By chance, the incident came to light: a shepherd who was taking his goats out to pasture heard a soft baby cry from beneath an earthen mound. As he got closer, he noticed a small hand sticking out of the dirt. Locals called police and law enforcement quickly dug up the child.
The suspects have not yet been identified. However, such cases are not uncommon in India. A long tradition of son preference has led to far fewer girls than boys in the country, and unwanted newborns are often victims of violent rituals and superstitions.
The incident took place in Shahjahanpur district, the country’s most populous state.
The girl is now in the intensive care unit for In 2019, the BBC reported on a premature baby girl found buried in a clay pot. After weeks in hospital, the baby survived and recovered.
India remains a country with one of the worst sex ratios in the world. Women face lifelong discrimination and girls are often seen as a financial burden, especially in poor families.
Activists emphasise: the traditional son advantage has led to millions of girls dying through abortion and infanticide over the years.
While most unwanted girls are aborted before birth, cases of newborn murder after birth are also not uncommon.