The body of the infant was found in a stormwater drain in Alexander Heights, Perth, this week and a woman – understood to be the tot’s mother – has now been charged
A woman has been charged with concealing the birth of a dead child after the body of a newborn baby was found in a storm drain.
The suspect, in her 30s and understood to be the mother of the boy, was arrested on Wednesday following the discovery of the infant on Monday. Tradesmen made the grim discovery while they were clearing the drains, in a routine visit in Perth, Australia. Police had launched a desperate search for the mother amid “serious concerns” for her welfare.
She was located and then arrested before adding that she was receiving “appropriate care and support” in a statement. Acting Inspector Jessica Securo said: “Anyone in this woman’s situation I would describe as vulnerable. Our ultimate priority was getting her that medical care, getting her that mental health support, getting everything she needed in that space.”
She added: “We’re extremely lucky that the two tradesmen came across that child. It is a highly distressing and confronting thing for anyone to come across and we’re just thankful that the tradesmen alerted police as quickly as they did. At this stage, our information suggests the baby was not killed violently.
“This, of course, is highly distressing for the entire community, detectives and as you can imagine, the family of the infant. I wish to add that if this matter has adversely affected or impacted you, there are support services out there, please engage them.”
WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch called the horror incident “an unimaginable situation” and said detectives have been working around the clock, reviewing CCTV, forensic evidence, eyewitness accounts, and calls to Crime Stoppers.
Blanch said: “Our thoughts go out to the mother, not only are there concerns about the mother’s health, but also the mental health and families surrounding the mother.
“That’s why Steve actually called out for the mother to come forward, because I think health is the first thing that we all think of in this situation, as tragic as it is for that baby boy.”
The police commissioner said detectives had come up with “some leads” after looking through CCTV footage.
He added: “As always, with Crime Stoppers and people ringing up, there are lots of things that people have seen.
“The job now is to sift through which ones may be relevant and which ones may not. They will follow everything down, so my message continues to be to our community, even if it doesn’t seem relevant. If you’re in the area, just ring up Crime Stoppers and tell us what you saw.”
Locals in the northern suburb of Perth where the tragic discovery was made, Alexander Heights, have placed touching tributes near the sad scene. A candlelit vigil is also due to take place for the baby boy in Saturday night.
One local, speaking to Seven News, said: “Having to physically be in the area where a poor innocent infant is just heartbreaking.”