The baby who was found dead in the Lek near Lekkerkerk at the beginning of this month was buried in a private circle today. The child, a girl, has been given the name ‘Mirjam van Lekkerkerk’ by the mayor of Krimpenerwaard, which includes Lekkerkerk.
The finder of the body, mayor Bouvy-Koene and a number of police officers attended the funeral. A poet wrote the poem Girl of the Lek especially for the baby.
Because the child did not have a name as far as is known, the mayor was allowed to give her a name, Omroep West writes. Mirjam van Lekkerkerk has been chosen. Her first name refers to the sister of Moses, who, according to the Biblical story, was abandoned in a basket in the Nile. The girl has been given ‘Van Lekkerkerk’ as a surname because she was found there.
“Mirjam’s find has made a deep impression on many people,” said mayor Koene during the funeral. “We have given her a beautiful place in our community today with love. We are making another memorial box for Mirjam’s relatives, if any.”
The lifeless body of the girl was found by a passer-by on Friday, March 3, in a plastic bag lying in the water at the bottom of the Schuwacht, a dike on the Lek. The girl was born after a full-term pregnancy and may have been in the water for weeks. The girl’s parents are still being sought.
When no next of kin are known in the event of a death, the responsibility for the burial lies with the municipality. According to acting mayor Pauline Bouvy-Koene, the municipality gave the girl a loving farewell with great attention and care.
- Thirty tips about a dead baby found in the Lek
- Dead baby in Lek was born after full term pregnancy
- No leads yet in research into dead baby at Lekkerkerk
