New twist in case of baby abandoned in family’s backyard as more detail comes to light on the mum’s desperate act
- DNA tests confirm woman as baby’s mother
- She was known to family who found the baby
- Had recently arrived on a working visa
The mum who left her newborn on a back patio was known to the family who discovered the naked baby girl in their backyard, police have revealed.
The newborn – barely an hour old – was discovered alone on a wicker chair next to a children’s playset at a Blacktown home in Sydney’s west on April 21.
She was covered in birth fluids, with the umbilical cord still attached, as she lay on a cushion – her mother nowhere to be seen.
A woman, 35, came forward to police earlier this month after watching a harrowing plea on TV from a Sydney teen who was also abandoned as a newborn 18 years ago.
DNA results this week confirmed the woman is the mother of the baby left in the Blacktown backyard in April.
The woman recently arrived in Australia on a working visa and feared she would be deported if authorities learned she was pregnant or that she had a baby, The Saturday Telegraph reported.
DNA results have confirmed the identity of a woman who left her newborn on the back patio (pictured) of this Blacktown home in April
It’s understood the woman gave birth in the Blacktown home before leaving the newborn on the patio knowing the baby would be taken care of.
It’s believed the family who found the baby had no idea the woman known to them was pregnant or had given birth, the publication added.
Police have ended their inquiries into the matter.
‘The matter is under the responsibility of the Department of Communities and Justice and will be heard at a children’s court,’ Blacktown Superintendent Jason Pietruszka said.
‘In the interest of the woman and child’s right to privacy, no further information will be provided in relation to this matter.’
A Department of Communities and Justice spokeswoman said the baby girl has been released from hospital and is now ‘happy and healthy’ with a foster carer.
It’s believed the family who found the baby had no idea the woman known to them was pregnant or had given birth
The Carlos family recalled in April how they heard feint cries while putting out the washing before finding the child in a nearby chair
They received instructions over the phone from triple-0 on how to cut the umbilical cord.
‘I couldn’t find anything in the kitchen, so I grabbed a shoelace and used that…then they (paramedics) talked me through how to do it,’ Anne Carlos said at the time.
‘We knew she had been born very recently, like only hours earlier, because she still had the white stuff (vernix) on her head.’
She believes the newborn was cleaned up before being left as there wasn’t much blood on her.
Anne Carlos’ sister was hanging out washing when she found the newborn in a nearby wicker cane chair
She recalled hearing the side gate slam loudly shut, thinking at the time it was her brother-in-law.
‘But now we realise that must have been the mum or whoever left the baby here, and they closed it loudly so we would go out and find her. You don’t bang a gate closed if you don’t want to be heard,’ she said.
The mum cam forward to police in May after watching a segment on A Current Affair featuring an impassioned plea from teenager Jessica Boatwright, who was also abandoned as a newborn at Liverpool Hospital in 2005
It’s understood the woman felt she needed to come forward after hearing Jessica’s story.
The mum cam forward to police in May after watching a segment on A Current Affair featuring an impassioned plea from teenager Jessica Boatwright (pictured)
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