A woman has been taken into custody following the discovery of a 2-year-old child inside a suitcase in a bus’s luggage compartment.
The 27-year-old was detained and charged with neglect after authorities found the toddler in a suitcase on a bus journeying from Northland to Auckland.
Authorities allege that the woman placed the child in a closed suitcase and stored it in a luggage compartment, posing a significant risk to the child.
Potential dangers included “suffocation, carbon monoxide poisoning, heat exhaustion, psychological trauma,” according to reports from the New Zealand Herald.
Police were alerted around 12:50 PM on August 3, after a passenger requested access to the luggage area when the bus stopped in Kaiwaka.
“The driver became concerned when he noticed the bag moving,” stated Detective Inspector Simon Harrison.
“Upon opening the suitcase, the driver found the 2-year-old girl inside.”
The toddler was reportedly very warm but appeared uninjured.
She was taken to the hospital for a medical evaluation and was expected to stay until the evening.
Harrison praised the bus driver’s quick actions, saying, “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.”
According to Radio New Zealand, the child had been inside the suitcase nearly an hour, dressed only in a diaper.
The woman’s relationship to the child has not been disclosed, and her identity remains protected as she has received interim name suppression in the North Shore District Court. She is scheduled to appear in court again on August 5, as ordered by Judge Anna Fitzgibbon.
The woman is also expected to undergo a forensic evaluation in connection with the case.
Regional Commissioner Te Tai Tokerau Anya Tahere stated that Oranga Tamariki (New Zealand’s ministry for children) had been notified: “Our thoughts are with the young child involved. We are working with their whānau to ensure the child is safe and cared for.”
The bus company, InterCity, confirmed the incident occurred on one of their buses.
“Police were called to respond, and they are now investigating the matter. No one was harmed during the incident and the service resumed,” a spokesperson said.
The reason for placing the child in the suitcase is unknown, but the company allows children under three to travel for free as long as they are seated on an adult’s lap.
Detective Inspector Harrison confirmed in a police update that the toddler is now ‘medically well’ after the incident, stating, “We are working with whānau (family) and our partner agencies to ensure the child is cared for.”
Harrison noted the public’s interest in the case: “We appreciate that there is high public interest with what has happened. However, given the circumstances concerning the child, and the matter being before the Court, we are unable to provide further comment.
Our focus is on ensuring the child is well-supported, and we are working with Oranga Tamariki in relation to this matter.”