Sydney Mother Accused Of Abandoning Newborn In A Storm Drain Charged

Near Sydney, Australia, a newborn was discovered in a storm drain on Sunday morning. A group of cyclists happened to be riding the path that runs along the M7 motorway. The cyclists heard crying and followed the sound to a 2.5 meter deep drain. After alerting the Sydney police department, a group of six people worked together to remove the 440-pound slab that covered the drain. Two officers climbed down to retrieve the tightly wrapped newborn boy. The Sydney newborn had been abandoned in the drain days earlier.

As the Inquisitr reported earlier, the 30-year-old Mother from Quakers Hill had been found by searching through medical records and knocking on doors. She was taken to Blacktown police department in West Sydney for further questioning.

The Sydney Morning Herald now reports that the mother has indeed been charged with attempted murder.

The newborn is reported to have been born last Monday. He was then pushed through the narrow hole at the top of the storm drain on Tuesday. The newborn boy was tightly wrapped in a striped hospital blanket and plastic. Police believe that the tightness of the wrappings saved the child from injury as it fell down the drain.

The Sydney newborn survived six days in the drain without food or water, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

When rescued, police noted that he did not appear to have an physical injuries, though he was severely malnourished and dehydrated. The newborn’s umbilical cord, with the clip from the hospital, was still attached.

David Otte, the cyclist who heard the newborn screaming, states the baby would not have survived had he and the others not been there.

That baby had no chance if we and the other people hadn’t been there. Something made us find that baby today.

Otte and the other rescuers were determined the get the drain opened, no matter what it took. The keen ears and fast actions of David Otte saved the newborn’s life. The child remains in serious, but stable condition at Sydney’s Westmead Children’s Hospital.

Andrew McCallum, from the Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies, has asked people not to pass judgement on the mother until all circumstances surrounding the incident were clear. As McCallum said, “there’s usually a lot of other factors involved in these things.”

The mother, whose identity has not been released, is in custody and has been refused bail. She will appear in Blacktown local court on Monday. Hopefully, Sydney police will learn what drove this mother to abandon her newborn in a storm drain through their investigation.

[Image via The Sydney Morning Herald]