In a piece of shocking news from Australia, a newborn baby boy was found in a rubbish bin at a property along Harrow Road in Auburn, in Sydney’s south-west, on Monday. 

Emergency services responded to a report of an infant’s body in a bin at the Auburn unit block at around 11.20 a.m. The naked baby was discovered by a local community member who was putting trash inside the bins that morning. 

Police said officers located the body of the baby in a garbage-style plastic bag. The infant had been in the bin for over 36 hours. 

Officers have set up a crime scene, with Auburn detectives investigating the circumstances surrounding the newborn’s death. The identity of the mother or the newborn remains unknown. 

Authorities said they hold “serious concerns” for the baby’s mother’s welfare, urging her to attend the nearest hospital for urgent care. They are knocking on doors in the area and seeking CCTV, cell phone, or dashcam footage for any leads. 

Acting superintendent of the Auburn area police command, Darren Sly, told reporters, “It’s a newborn baby who now has passed away, and of course it’s sad and a horrific set of circumstances. Our number one priority and our number one concern is that of the mother.”

“If there was to be any police action, that is not our priority whatsoever … our only priority at the moment is for the welfare of the mother and that she goes immediately to hospital.”

 

The incident has drawn attention to the lack of “safe haven” laws in Australia. According to University of Sydney Professor Amy Conley Wright, who previously spoke to The Guardian, no states in the country introduced safe-haven laws or safe drop-off zones. 

The professor of child and family social work said, “When people have a pregnancy that is unwanted, they may be in desperate circumstances and not realise the support available to them, and they might do something terrible. […] We need to give mothers more options.”

Tasmanian Labor senator Helen Polley said, “We would all much prefer that women were able to keep their own babies and get the support that they need to do that, but that’s not always what happens. […] If it would save even one baby’s life, then it’s well worthwhile.”

It is pertinent to mention here that similar laws for parents who want to give up unwanted babies have been in place in parts of the U.S., Canada, and Europe for several years now. 

In America, both police stations and hospitals have temperature-controlled baby boxes that alert workers when opened.

Meanwhile, Auburn officers have urged anyone with information to contact the police station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. 

Disclaimer: Inquisitr could not independently confirm the facts of this incident and is reporting based on the information available.