Woman charged with ill-treatment/neglect of child after child found in suitcase

To be attributed to Detective Inspector Simon Harrison, Acting Field Crime Manager Waitematā:

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.