In Melbourne’s southeast, a newborn infant was discovered dead inside a Coles shopping bag. A coroner is now looking into how this happened.
The baby’s corpse was discovered in a Clyde North garden in May of last year, according to information presented in the Melbourne Coroners Court on Thursday.
The baby’s mother, who resided in a nearby house and was not arrested in connection with the event, has denied being pregnant and giving birth to the child.
The baby was between 37 and 38 weeks gestational age at the time of death, according to forensic analyses, the court was informed.
The infant may have been delivered alive, according to coroner Katherine Lorenz, based on the facts at hand.
Following the onset of stomach discomfort in the days before May 28, 2021, the mother used laxatives and other over-the-counter medications, according to counsel assisting the coroner.
The next day, she called a doctor’s office and denied being pregnant.
On May 30, she said, she started to feel more pressure in her abdomen, and when she went to the bathroom, she spilled blood.
Her spouse allegedly brought her a Coles plastic shopping bag, which she allegedly filled with dirty clothes and slippers before taking a bath. The slippers, according to her, were left in the suitcase while she cleaned some of the clothes in the shower.
After her bath, she reportedly felt weak and laid down before cleaning the toilet area and throwing the Coles bag in the trash. She couldn’t remember where she put the bag or how she got rid of it.
Her flatmate arrived home and persuaded the lady to visit the hospital. She was discovered to be completely dilated and to have delivered what seemed to be a baby when she arrived at the emergency room.
She claimed to be unaware of any pregnancy signs or having given birth, which startled the medical team. Later that evening, when police investigated her Clyde North residence, no infant was discovered.
On May 31, about 11.30 a.m., her neighbors discovered a dead infant inside a Coles shopping bag in their lawn.
On June 5, 2023, an inquiry into the incident is scheduled to be started.