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Topics: World News, News, Crime, Parenting
Rhianna Benson
The horrific case of a New Zealand toddler discovered alive and well after being stuffed into a suitcase and stowed underneath a bus this week has hit headlines across the globe.
Here's everything we know about the incident so far after a woman was charged over the incident and denied bail.
On Sunday (3 August), a bus driver making the journey through Kaiwaka - around 60 miles north of Auckland - was approached by a passenger while making a scheduled stop.
The traveller in question had asked the man for access to the luggage compartment underneath the bus, which he agreed to.
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Upon opening the doors to the cramped space, the driver reportedly spotted movement inside one of the suitcases being stowed.
Concerned, he immediately pulled the bag towards him, opening it to discover a two-year-old girl squashed inside.
According to Radio New Zealand (RNZ), the child has been stored in the suitcase for almost an hour, wearing solely a nappy.
In the hours following the discovery of the girl, Detective Chief Simon Harrison provided press with an update, revealing she'd been found 'very hot, but otherwise appeared physically unharmed'.
He went on to explain that she'd been rushed to a local hospital, where she received an extensive medical assessment.
In a later press update, DC Harrison re-confirmed that the child is 'medically well'.
"We are working with whānau [family] and our partner agencies to ensure the child is cared for," he continued. "We appreciate that there is high public interest with what has happened.
"However, given the circumstances concerning the child, and the matter being before the Court, we are unable to provide further comment.
"Our focus is on ensuring the child is well-supported and we are working with Oranga Tamariki [Ministry for Children] in relation to this matter."
The detective also said he and his team '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'.
Local police also confirmed that a 27-year-old woman - yet to be named - who had been travelling from Whangārei to Auckland, had been arrested on the scene in relation to the crime.
She was subsequently charged with ill-treatment or neglect of the child.
Police said the girl risked suffocation, carbon monoxide poisoning and psychological trauma in the suitcase, and the mother's actions were 'a major departure from the standard of care to be expected of a reasonable person'.
After being denied bail during her second appearance in the North Shore District Court yesterday (4 August), she has been referred to a mental health unit within custody. The woman - whose relation to the child has not been disclosed - is also yet to enter a plea.
Local reports say she stood in court with her head bowed earlier this week, and faced the wall throughout the duration of her appearance.
In the hours after the incident was initially reported, Entrada Travel Group - the operators of New Zealand's national bus line InterCity - confirmed that the girl had been found inside one of its vehicles, as per NBC.
"Police were called to respond and are investigating the matter," the firm's official statement continued. "No one was harmed during the incident, and the service resumed."