A 28-year-old Northland woman has been found not criminally responsible after being charged with ill-treating a two-year-old girl who was placed inside a suitcase in the luggage compartment of an intercity bus.
According to a report by 1News, Auckland District Court Judge Paul Murray found the case against the woman was proven but ruled that she was not criminally responsible due to her mental state. She is to be treated as a mental health patient.
The woman, who has permanent name suppression, placed the toddler inside a suitcase that was loaded into the luggage compartment of a bus travelling from Whangārei to Auckland in August 2025.
The child was discovered by the bus driver about an hour into the journey when the bus stopped at Kaiwaka, 1News has reported.
She was found inside the suitcase, reportedly very hot and sweaty.
Police had alleged that the child was exposed to serious dangers while inside the luggage compartment, including the risk of suffocation and psychological trauma, as reported by 1News.
The woman was previously granted permanent name suppression during proceedings.
Following the court's finding, the woman will be treated as a mental health patient rather than being held criminally responsible for the offending, 1News has reported.