Eight-Month-Old Baby Found Dead
By Godgift Harris
A tragic discovery at the Dula Market in Monrovia’s Bushrod Island Community has left residents in shock and raised urgent concerns about social welfare, security and public morality in Liberia.
Early Friday morning, August 8, 2025, an eight-month-old baby was found lifeless on a garbage dump near the market’s newly constructed facility.
According to eyewitnesses, the child’s body was first spotted by market women preparing to set up their stalls for the day’s trading.
They immediately alerted nearby residents and traders, sparking a wave of disbelief and sorrow across the busy commercial hub.
“I was coming to arrange my table to sell my fish when I saw the small baby lying there on the dirt,” said Mary Johnson, a fish seller who has been working in the Dula Market for over 15 years.
“At first, I thought the child was sleeping, but when I got closer, I saw there was no sign of life.”
Other traders confirmed that the baby appeared to have been placed on the dumpsite sometime before dawn, no suspect or caretaker was seen in the area prior to the discovery.
Local resident Samuel Kpakah expressed anger over the incident, “This is not the first time something terrible like this has happened here,” he said.
“Over the years, we have found newborns abandoned in the market and even in nearby alleys.
It’s heartbreaking and shows how bad things have become for some people in our country.”
According to long-time residents, cases of abandoned babies, sometimes alive, other times deceased, have occurred in and around Duala Market for years.
While no official statistics exist, locals say poverty, teenage pregnancy, broken family structures, and lack of access to social services are major drivers behind such acts.
Dula Market, located on Bushrod Island, is one of Liberia’s largest and busiest trading centers.
It serves thousands of people daily, with traders selling goods ranging from fresh fish and vegetables to clothing and electronics.
However, behind its bustling commerce lies a reality of urban hardship high unemployment, overcrowding and widespread informal settlements with limited basic services.
The market also has a reputation for being active late at night, with parts of it becoming hotspots for commercial sex work.
Residents say these conditions, combined with inadequate policing and social welfare support, have created an environment where such tragedies can occur unnoticed until it’s too late.
The lifeless infant was found near the newly constructed market building, which was built during the administration of former President George M. Weah as part of a broader effort to modernize key trading centers across Liberia.
While the new structure has improved trading conditions for some vendors, the surrounding areas including garbage disposal sites and unlit spaces remain vulnerable to criminal or socially harmful activities.
“It is sad that right next to this beautiful new market building, something so terrible could happen,” said Fatu Morris, a trader in the new facility.
“We need better security here police patrols, lights at night, and maybe even social workers who can help young mothers in trouble.”
By mid-morning Friday, the market was buzzing not just with trade, but with conversations about the tragedy.
Community leaders and traders held impromptu discussions on how to prevent such incidents in the future.
Abandonment is a crime, but it is also a symptom of deeper problems poverty, lack of education and no access to health care.”
Market women suggested installing CCTV cameras around the new market building, increasing police presence during both day and night hours, and creating a hotline for reporting suspected cases of child neglect.
As of Friday morning authorities from the Liberia National Police (LNP) had not yet issued an official statement regarding the discovery.
However, sources within the community say officers visited the scene shortly after the body was found and transported the remains to a local mortuary for further examination.
A police investigator, speaking anonymously because they were not authorized to speak publicly, confirmed that a homicide or criminal neglect investigation has been opened.
“We are reviewing any possible witnesses, and we will also look at nearby shops or facilities that may have surveillance cameras,” the source said.
Child abandonment remains a serious yet underreported issue in Liberia.
According to child welfare advocates, many cases go uninvestigated due to limited resources, lack of public reporting mechanisms and societal stigma that discourages people from speaking out.
“This is not just a criminal matter; it is a humanitarian crisis,” said Esther Williams, a social worker with a local NGO that provides support to vulnerable mothers.
“An eight-month-old baby cannot fend for themselves. Whoever left that child there knew they would not survive.
That means we as a society failed somewhere failed to provide care, shelter, or even a safe place for the mother to turn to.”
Williams stressed the need for more public awareness campaigns on safe alternatives to abandonment, such as temporary child shelters, adoption services, and emergency care centers.
Economic hardship plays a central role in such tragedies. Liberia’s economy, while showing some signs of recovery, continues to struggle with high inflation, limited job creation, and rising living costs.
In communities like Dula, where most people live hand-to-mouth, the cost of raising a child can feel overwhelming especially for single mothers or teenagers without family support.
Dr. Thomas Jallah, an economist at the University of Liberia, explained, “When we talk about child abandonment, we must link it to the broader picture of economic inequality.
Many women in poor urban areas are caught in cycles of dependency and informal work.
Without income stability, affordable housing, and accessible childcare, some may make desperate and harmful choices.”
Dula Market is not only a day trading hub but also a nighttime gathering spot. Several residents openly acknowledged that parts of the market are used for transactional sex, particularly by young women seeking quick cash to meet daily needs.
“Sometimes you see girls as young as 15 staying here late into the night,” said a shop owner who requested anonymity.
“They sleep in small corners of the market, and men come looking for them. We all know it happens, but nobody wants to talk about it because it’s dangerous to speak out.”
This environment, locals say, increases the risks of unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and situations where young women may be unable or unwilling to care for newborns.
As investigations continue, community members are urging a multi-sectoral response involving not just police, but also the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Ministry of Health, and local NGOs.
where parents in crisis can leave infants without facing immediate criminal charges, allowing authorities to arrange care,
On Friday morning, a small group of traders and residents gathered at the site where the baby was found, placing flowers and saying prayers, though the infant’s identity remains unknown, the grief was palpable.
“This child did not deserve this,” said Madam Sarah Doe, a grandmother and market trader.
“Even if the mother could not keep the baby, there are people who would have taken care of it. We need to teach our children that life is precious.”
The death of this eight-month-old in Duala is more than just another tragic headline it is a painful reminder of the vulnerabilities facing children in Liberia and the urgent need for stronger safety nets.