Mother of baby abandoned in drain has been refused bail on attempted murder charge

The 30-year-old Pacific Island woman has been charged with attempted murder of the newborn, who was found by passers-by early yesterday morning.

He was found down the drain, which was partly covered by a 200kg concrete slab, on a day where temperatures reached the mid-forties in parts of western Sydney.

His survival — of not only days of searing heat and the 2.4m fall — has baffled doctors and his rescuers, who at one point thought he was dead.

The mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, didn’t appear in Blacktown Local Court this morning but through her lawyer said she wasn’t applying for bail.

Bail was then formally refused for her to appear in court on Friday. A medical assessment was also requested.

Court documents said the boy was placed in the drain on Tuesday, just a day after he was born in Blacktown Hospital.

Police say they found the woman through checking records of local hospitals and through doorknocking.

She was supported in court by several family members — some of who were targeted by members of the public who abused them outside court.

One family member was quoted by Daily Mail as saying the ordeal had been “distressing”.

The woman’s parents and siblings live in Samoa and she lives with her extended family in the western suburbs.

The baby’s father has not been found

        The mother of the baby .

The Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) is calling for vulnerable parents to receive more support to avoid further cases such as the abandoned baby boy found in Sydney yesterday morning.

National President of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) Professor Karen Healy said baby abandonment was usually an “extremely rare” situation, with roughly less than 10 cases of outright abandonment across Australia each year.

“Typically, parents will abandon their baby because of a complete inability to take care of their

child, and very often they are looking for someone else to care for child but don’t want to be

investigated,” Professor Healy said.

“This case is quite a different scenario.

“Babies are generally left on church doorsteps or at hospitals, in high-traffic areas where the parents know someone will find them and take care of them. There could be some element of shame, where their families perhaps weren’t aware they were pregnant.”

Lisa Knott, spokeswoman for Post and Antenatal Depression Association (PANDA), said 1 in 7 Australian woman suffered some form of postnatal depression.

The baby boy was found down this drain at Quakers Hill. Picture: CAMERON RICHARDSON Source: Supplied

She said the illness “doesn’t discriminate” and affected different nationalities, ages and social demographics.

It was a common misconception that postnatal depression was attributed to hormonal changes, she said.

The reality was though there could be a variety of causes from a traumatic birth, to previous history of mental illness.

Ms Knott told news.com.au symptoms ranged from being tearful, anxious and fearful, not wanting to be alone with the baby or the opposite being always on the go.

“The signs are different for everyone,” she said.

Police believe he was pushed through a small gap at the top of the drain and may have suffered internal injuries from the fall.

David Otte was cycling with his 18-year-old daughter Hayley when they heard a strange noise from the drain.

Cyclist David Otte and daughter Hayley found a baby boy while riding along a bike track beside the M7. Source: YouTube

“We actually thought it was a kitten­ at first but when we went down there we could hear exactly what it was — you could definitely tell it was a baby screaming,” Mr Otte said.

Mr Otte and other cyclists quickly contacted police, who rushed to help with the rescue.

This morning he said on radio the sound of the baby was “unmistakable”.

When he called police the operator could hear the baby screaming over the phone and told him they would get there as quickly as they could.

He thought the plastic around the baby may have cushioned its fall.

A concerned Mr Otte delivered baby clothes to the hospital for the baby yesterday afternoon. “We’re just thinking about the little fella, he’s a beautiful, beautiful baby,” he said.

Senior Constable Mark McAlister was among the first there and helped to move the slab before climbing into the drain with another officer.

Patrick Morgan, Mark McAllister and Darren McIntyre were the first police officers on the scene. Source: Supplied

It was a bit surreal actually,” Sen Constable McAlister said. “I have kids and we’re expecting a baby in a few more months so it’s not good that someone’s going through this.”

Inspector David Lagats said it was unlikely the boy would have survived in the drain yesterday, as temperatures in the area topped 40C.

“He was already malnourished and dehydration would have taken effect so I would have had grave fears for the child’s welfare had he been exposed to this weather for the rest of the day,” Insp Lagats said.

Department of Families and Community Services district director Lisa Charet said it was likely the child would be released from hospital into the care of the state. “When this sort of thing happens, people are in a place of desperation,” Ms Charet said.