The baby died after being thrown from the hotel in Paris, France – now the 18-year-old student allegedly responsible for the tragedy has been named as Mia McQuillin
An 18-year-old student who allegedly threw a newborn baby out of a hotel room window in Paris has been named as Mia McQuillin.
Ms McQuillin, an American, was placed in police custody following the alarming scenes on Monday morning. She was travelling in Europe with a group of tourists when she gave birth inside the hotel.
She is said to have hurled the infant out of the window on the second floor at the Ibis Styles Hotel, which is situated on the corner of rue de la Croix-Saint-Simon. Hotel workers said they had n o idea she was even pregnant and suspected that she was in denial about her pregnancy.
She was part of a group of young adults visiting Europe with EF Gap Year. The programme allows young people, aged 18, to 22, to “experience the world” and discover their passions as well as “build real-world skills, make lifelong memories, and return home a better you.”
EF Gap Year confirmed the student was part of their travel group and said in a statement shared with The Mirror: “We are deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic event, and our thoughts are with everyone affected during this difficult time. We are fully cooperating with local authorities as they continue their investigation. Counselling support has been offered to all group members, and we are extending our support to the impacted families.”
Witnesses say the baby still had the umbilical cord attached when they were found. Emergency services raced the newborn to the hospital, but the child was sadly pronounced dead. Speaking about the “nightmare” which erupted at the hotel, one employee said: “It was still early this Monday morning. Around 6am, this little piece of Paris woke up in the middle of a nightmare. I get chills just thinking about it.”
They added: “It’s awful. She had to give birth in the room, she wrapped the baby in a towel and threw him out the window. He was still alive when he left with the emergency services. But he is dead. We wonder what happened, it must be a denial of pregnancy.”
Authorities are considering the possibility of pregnancy denial, a condition in which a woman remains unaware of or in denial about her pregnancy until labour. It can cause adverse consequences including psychological distress, unassisted delivery and neonaticide. According to researchers, denial of pregnancy is considered a “red flag” and, as such, it “should trigger referral for psychiatric assessment.”
The US Embassy in Paris confirmed it was aware of reports of the arrest and was “closely monitoring this case.” They added: “We are deeply saddened to learn of the recent tragedy involving the loss of a young life.” A police investigation is ongoing. The Mirror has contacted Ibis Styles for comment.