A 27-year-old woman has appeared in the North Shore District Court charged with ill-treatment of a child, after a shocking discovery on an InterCity bus left New Zealand stunned.
The case emerged on Sunday afternoon when a two-year-old girl was found inside a bag in the luggage compartment of an InterCity bus travelling from Whangārei to Auckland. The child was located during a scheduled stop in Kaiwaka, Northland, after a passenger requested access to their luggage. Police were called to the scene at approximately 12.50 pm.
According to RNZ, the toddler had allegedly been confined in the suitcase for close to an hour, dressed in nothing but a nappy. She was taken to the hospital in a minor condition for an extensive medical assessment. Medical professionals examined her for possible effects of suffocation, dehydration, carbon monoxide poisoning, heat exhaustion, and psychological trauma.
Court documents described the alleged act as a “major departure from the standard of care expected of a reasonable person.”
The woman, whose identity is currently protected under court-ordered name suppression, appeared calm during her brief court appearance. Dressed in a light-coloured hoodie with her hair tied in a low bun, she stood silently in the dock while her lawyer entered no plea on her behalf. She turned away from the media as filming was permitted in the courtroom.
The presiding judge directed that a forensic psychology team assess the woman before her next court appearance later this week.
The incident has raised serious concerns about child safety and public transport procedures, sparking outrage and disbelief among the public.
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