Why Infanticide Is A Problem In Senegal

Editor's note: This story is about infanticide — the killing of a newborn baby — and includes graphic descriptions of that practice.

We had to pass two strictly-manned, massive gates to access the inner courtyard of the prison in Thies, the third largest city in Senegal. The women's ward was off to the right, behind another wall and another smaller gate. It was like a small house, a cramped concrete structure without cells or bars. On the ground, mattresses were pressed against each other, blanketing the concrete floor. Women sat languidly on them or clustered in the courtyard outside.

We were here to speak to women accused of infanticide — killing their newborn baby. It is the second-most common reason women are in jail in Senegal (drug trafficking is number one.). In 2015, of the country's 283 female prisoners were in prison for the crime of infanticide, according to the