New Zealand woman arrested after toddler found in suitcase on bus

Crime

New Zealand woman arrested after toddler found in suitcase on bus

4 months ago

News sources:

CHANNELNEWSASIA

CBSNEWS

BBC

INDIATIMES 2

SCMP

HUFFPOST

New Zealand woman arrested after toddler found in suitcase on bus

Credited from: SCMP

A woman was arrested for allegedly hiding her 2-year-old in a suitcase on a bus.
The child was discovered by a bus driver during a routine stop.
The girl was found hot but physically unharmed, receiving medical assistance.
The woman has been charged with ill-treatment and neglect of a child.

A woman in New Zealand was arrested on Sunday after a two-year-old girl was found locked inside a suitcase in a bus's luggage compartment during a stop in Kaiwaka. The bus driver noticed movement in the bag, prompting him to open it and discover the child inside, who was reported to be very hot but otherwise physically unharmed, according to Channel News Asia, CBS News, and BBC.

The 27-year-old woman is facing charges of ill-treatment and neglect of a child as police confirmed she had stored the suitcase in the luggage area for the duration of the trip. Detective Inspector Simon Harrison noted that the child underwent a thorough medical evaluation after being taken to the hospital, with authorities stating she could have suffered serious health risks, including suffocation and dehydration, according to India Times and South China Morning Post.

Witness reports indicate that the incident unfolded after a passenger requested access to the luggage compartment, leading the driver to become suspicious of the moving suitcase. The woman is scheduled to appear in North Shore District Court, but the police have not disclosed the relationship between her and the child, according to India Times and HuffPost.