Desperate mom abandons baby on train

A 1-year-old baby boy was abandoned on a train from Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, to Beijing West Railway Station Thursday morning and has been transferred to a hospital by station staff.

"We found him abandoned on the No.14 carriage of the train as we were checking it after arriving at Beijing West at 7:38 am. We found a note left by the mother," said Zeng Ying, head of the train crew.

"I am an unmarried mother… Now the father abandoned us. I am devastated, but without a marriage certificate, what else can I do? Now my family is forcing me to go home and meet a date and get married. I am so ashamed to take a baby home. My son was born on December 17, 2011. I hope a kind-hearted person can adopt him. If such luck fails, please send him to a formal adoption agency to ensure his safety. I could only pay you back in the next life. Thank you!" read the note.

According to their investigation, the mother boarded at Jiujiang Station, Jiangxi Province. They have suggested train security should check the woman's identity through the real-name ticket system, Zeng said.

Zeng and her colleagues transferred the baby to station personnel, who then sent the baby to Beijing Hepingli Hospital in Dongcheng district.

"We sent him to the hospital at around 9 am. I've encountered such cases before and we always take the baby to the hospital," said Si Tengyan, from the No.36 waiting room at the station, which is designated for the elderly or disabled.

Hepingli Hospital said that matters related to abandoned babies are confidential, but confirmed that it is the only hospital in Beijing to take care of abandoned babies.

"We give these babies a thorough health check, and if they are sick, we treat them, and if they arebaby is sound, we transfer them to a designated orphanage," said an anonymous media officer from the hospital.

Wan Daqiang, a lawyer specializing in child protection from Beijing Shangquan Law Firm, said that the mother has committed the crime of abandonment and if found, could be sentenced to up to five years imprisonment or detention or be put under surveillance.

"The right thing for the mother to do is to sue the father who abandoned them and the father would have to pay more than half of the baby's living expenses," he said.