The mother of a newborn baby boy who was found in a stormwater drain in suburban Perth on Monday has been charged with hiding his body.
WA Police homicide chief Acting Inspector Jessica Securo said the woman was continuing to receive “appropriate support” and would appear in court at a later date.
Maintenance workers conducting routine checks and clearing of storm drains on La Salle Road, in Alexander Heights, found the baby boy’s body on Monday afternoon.
Police had previously said evidence indicated the baby was placed in the drain not long before he was found, and his body had not been washed through the drain.
Inspector Securo said the mother was receiving mental health and medical care “and when she’s able to, she’ll be put before the court”.
The baby’s body was found in this stormwater drain in the Perth suburb of Alexander Heights. (ABC News: Keana Naughton)
She said public information led to the identification of the mother and enabled police to get her the medical help she needed.
“It was our priority to get her to a hospital,” she said.
On Wednesday evening, police announced that a woman aged in her 30s was assisting them with their inquiries into the death.
In a short statement at the time, police said she was “receiving appropriate care and support”.
‘Distressing’ scene
The grim discovery of the baby’s body was met with shock from the community, with police noting the scene had been “distressing” for both the workers who found the body and for first responders at the scene.
Homicide detectives have been working on the case since the infant’s body was found, and made an urgent plea to the public for any information or CCTV they might have had.
Residents in the area left tributes to the baby at the scene, including flowers and stuffed toys.
Inspector Securo said the circumstances surrounding the baby’s death were ongoing, and did not rule out further charges.
“At this stage our information suggests the baby was not killed violently,” she said.
“However, the circumstances around the death of the child is ongoing.
“I can’t answer at this stage if charges will be upgraded or not as the investigation is still in its early stages.”
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