A woman and a man abandoned a baby in a stroller near a pond at the Wienerberg grounds in Vienna-Favoriten on Thursday evening after passersby confronted them about their strange behavior. According to police spokesperson Julia Schick, the woman was first observed around 7:00 p.m. handling the baby boy very roughly, repeatedly walking into the water with him in her arms and even once stumbling while coming out.
Passersby spoke to the woman about her behavior. She then walked away with the baby boy but left the stroller behind at the pond near Neilreichgasse. Shortly afterward, a man returned with the baby in his arms, placed him back into the stroller, and told witnesses he was going to look for his wife. He then disappeared as well, leaving the boy behind.
Emergency medical services brought the approximately 11-month-old boy to a hospital for further care and examination. He showed no visible injuries. The investigation was taken over by the Southern Branch of the Vienna Criminal Investigation Department. Witnesses photographed the man, who spoke broken German. Police have asked for any information to be directed to the duty desk of the Southern Branch of the Vienna Criminal Investigation Department at +43-1-31310-57800.
Child and Youth Services take custody
The city’s Child and Youth Services department (MA 11) has taken custody of the boy, according to ORF Radio Wien. “The baby is doing well; on Monday we will place him in a crisis foster family,” said MA 11 spokesperson Ingrid Pöschmann. She thanked those “who reacted so quickly and prevented something worse from happening. This is how child protection works: we pay attention together, we respond, and we act.” MA 11 stressed that child protection also depends on the awareness of the general public.
