Dzieciobójstwo w międzywojennej Bydgoszczy - na podstawie prasy i źródeł archiwalnych

Abstrakt

Every year, around ten cases of infanticide had been reported in Bydgoszcz. It applied to voluntary manslaughter of newborn by the mother during the labor or just after childbirth. Official statistics did not reflect the actual scale of the problem. In the 1920s, the system of health care services of pregnant women was imperfect and future mothers of unwanted child were able to give birth anonymously with the help of the midwife, assuring full discretion or to give birth in a hideaway. Servants and workers dominated among mothers killing their infants. The decision of many unmarried, pregnant women to hide pregnancy and kill the child was determined by the lack of funds and prospects as well as the justified fear of social stigma, pushing these women to a worse category. Mothers who were killing their children were facing a prison sentence of at least three years, but in reality sentences were less severe. Illegal abortion was also related to unwanted offspring. Botched abortions frequently led to death of young mothers. It’s hard to estimate the scale of this criminal practice, but it was surely widespread and done with impunity. Such cases were not reported to the police in fear of penal consequences.