A 27-year-old woman was arrested on child abuse charges in on Sunday after she was found to be traveling with a child she was during a long-distance bus trip.
The driver of the vehicle — owned by InterCity bus company and traveling between the capital Auckland the northern settlement of Whangarei — discovered the child during a routine stop during the roughly two-and-a-half-hour trip when a passenger asked for access to the under-bus storage area.
The driver noticed that the bag was moving and discovered the child after opening the suitcase.
Women charged with child abuse
Police Inspector Simon Harrison said the child had not sustained physical injury other than overheating, but that the 2-year-old was taken to a hospital for exams. She remained at the facility overnight.
Authorities did not say how long the child had been in the bag before she was found.
The unnamed woman will appear before a judge on Monday where authorities say she will be charged with child abuse.
Authorities say the child could have suffered suffocation, carbon monoxide poisoning, heatstroke or psychological trauma and that the mother’s behavior was a “significant departure” from her responsibilities as the child’s caretaker.
InterCity says it does not charge fares for children under the age of three, these are, however, required to travel on an accompanying adults’ lap.
Police Inspector Harrison thanked the bus driver, praising his alert and quick behavior, noting that it likely saved the child from further harm.
Edited by: Louis Oelofse
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