A woman in her 30s has been charged with concealing the birth of a deceased child after the body of a baby boy was discovered in a storm drain in Perth. The woman, who is the infant's mother, had been assisting police with inquiries since Wednesday, following the discovery on Monday afternoon.
Police allege the baby had been placed in the drain for a short period of time. Acting Detective Inspector Jessica Securo of the WA police homicide squad confirmed the mother was continuing to receive appropriate care and support. She noted that members of the community had alerted police to the woman, which may have saved her life.
Inspector Securo described the woman as vulnerable and emphasised that the priority was to provide her with medical care and mental health support. She added that the infant did not appear to have been killed violently and thanked the two tradesmen who found the baby and promptly alerted authorities.
Western Australian Premier Roger Cook called the incident a “horrifying series of events” that had shaken the community. Flowers and teddy bears have been left at the drain site as a tribute to the child.
