A 27-year-old woman in New Zealand was arrested after a two-year-old girl was found inside a stowed suitcase – it came after the driver ‘noticed something wasn’t right’
A woman has been arrested after a bus driver found a toddler inside a suitcase. The child was found in a bag in the vehicle’s luggage compartment during a planned stop at the settlement of Kaiwaka, north of Auckland in New Zealand.
The bus driver noticed movement inside the bag after a passenger asked for access to the luggage compartment, authorities confirmed. Upon opening the bag, a two-year-old girl was found.
Detective Inspector Simon Harrison said in a statement that the girl was very hot but otherwise appeared physically unharmed. It is not yet clear how long the toddler was in the baggage compartment or which cities the bus was traveling between. An “extensive” medical assessment was carried out. It comes after a woman, 20, was found dead on bus with 26 iPhones glued to her body.
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The child was taken to a hospital, where she remained on Sunday night local time.
The arrested woman, 27, was charged with ill-treatment or neglect of a child. She was not named by law enforcement, but was expected to appear in court today.
Police continue to investigate the incident and said further charges could not be ruled out. The Oranga Tamariki, a government department also known as the ‘Ministry for Children’ and responsible for the well-being of children, has also been notified.
The bus company InterCity confirmed to New Zealand news outlets that the episode involved one of its vehicles. The company does not charge fares for children younger than three years, who can travel for free on an adult’s lap.
Police commended the bus driver and his actions to prevent further harm to the gil. DI Harrison said: “We would like to acknowledge and commend the bus driver, who noticed something wasn’t right and took immediate action, preventing what could have been a far worse outcome.
“A woman has been charged with ill-treatment/neglect of a child, after a toddler was located in a suitcase in a bus luggage compartment this afternoon. Police were called at 12:50pm, after a passenger asked for access to the luggage compartment during a planned stop in Kaiwaka.
“The driver became concerned when he noticed the bag moving. When the driver opened the suitcase, they discovered the two-year-old girl. The little girl was reported to be very hot, but otherwise appeared physically unharmed. She was transported to hospital, where she remains, undergoing an extensive medical assessment.
“A 27-year-old woman was arrested and has been charged with ill-treatment/neglect of a child. She is scheduled to appear in North Shore District Court on 4 August.
“We would like to acknowledge and commend the bus driver, who noticed something wasn’t right and took immediate action, preventing what could have been a far worse outcome. Police enquiries into this incident are ongoing and further charges cannot be ruled out. Oranga Tamariki has also been notified.”