Some Questions Need to be Asked

Whenever I read stories about babies falling from apartment buildings, the first question that comes to mind is how the hell does that happen? In this morning’s Toronto Sun cover story, a Mississauga baby survived an 8-storey fall; landing on dense shrubs. Here’s the explanation on how the baby managed to fall off the balcony: “Peel police say the toddler squirmed out of his mother's arms as they stood on the corner balcony and fell, landing on the two-metre-tall bush.”

Can a baby really just “squirm” out of his mother’s arms and fall off the balcony? Assuming this is true, then why is the mother standing on the edge of the balcony with her baby? I lived on a 19th story apartment for a year and I wouldn’t even hold a beer that close to the edge, let alone my baby. But the media generally doesn’t want to be too insensitive or accuse the mother of being careless; she’s probably already traumatized by the incident as it is. The Toronto Sun accepted the police explanation: “Peel Const. J.P. Valade said the fall is being treated as an accident.”.

The only media agency I could find asking this question is CityNews: “Cops have now finished their probe into the incident and have ruled it an accident. No charges will be laid but there's no word on why the mom got so close to the edge of the ledge with the baby in her arms.” Thanks CityNews for asking the question that  needed to be asked.

Cover Rating: NEUTRAL NEWS