The lead story in Monday's STAR explored the discovery of a dead baby in a plastic bag along a street in downtown Kingston.

To say that this story is disturbing would be a great understatement and a story such as this begs a host of questions. Who could do such a thing to an innocent child? What would drive someone to do such a thing and how does this person sleep at nights?

It is hard to understand how someone could feel that this was their only option. In a time where many persons are willing to adopt children and where agencies like the Child Development Agency are on hand to lend assistance, a thing like this should not have happened.

The death of a child is not something that should be looked at lightly. In fact, anyone guilty of killing a child should face the maximum penalty. In a case like this, however, we cannot be hasty to cast judgement. Perhaps the mother of this child was suffering from severe depression. Though this would not excuse her actions, it would allow us the chance to look at the situation differently.

A person in deep anxiety, depression and under tremendous stress, will perhaps lose control of the senses. Government agencies like the Child Development Agency can do much more to make mothers aware of the options they have and to offer counselling to new mothers. No one should feel that killing a child is the way out and no innocent child should be deprived of the chance to live.