Baby's body found in a shoebox in a Sydney garden.

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/babys-body-found-in-shoebox-in-sydney-garden-20100819-12j34.html

A baby girl stuffed into a shoebox and hidden under a pile of mulch in a garden in Sydney's inner west was newborn and still had her umbilical cord attached, police say.

Police are trying to find the girl's mother, who they believe could need medical care.

A gardener discovered the body during daily rounds outside unit blocks next to a train line on Beresford Street, Strathfield, about 8am today.

The shoebox was partially hidden under a pile of mulch, Detective Inspector Has Rupp, from the State Crime Command's Homicide Squad, said.

Police believe it was put there overnight - or at least in the past 24 hours - as the gardener said nothing was there at 8am yesterday.

Detective Inspector Rupp said police could not yet say whether the baby died of natural causes.

A post-mortem examination would be done on the body tomorrow, he said.

The garden area can be accessed by a walkway that runs between a group of eight high-density unit blocks.

Police spent the morning questioning residents about recent pregnancies.

Partha Mukherjee, secretary of the building’s executive committee, also said the area was a haven for crime.

Mr Mukherjee said there had been several muggings, carried out by youths on commuters, as well as a murder in the building about a year ago.

"It's become a hot spot of crime," Mr Mukherjee said.

"There’s free feeding for all the criminals."

A train line leading to Strathfield station, Beresford Road and a wide pedestrian walkway form a triangle around the three unit blocks.

The walkway is used as a short cut between Homebush and Strathfield stations.

There are a number of lamps along the walkway but Mr Mukherjee said the pathway was not usually lit.

Detective Inspector Rupp said there was some lighting in the walkway but it was not very good.

All residents spoken to by smh.com.au, most of whom were students, said they knew nothing about the discovery.

A large number of general duties police officers, forensics specialists and detectives have descended on the unit blocks.

The Homicide Squad is also helping out, although police have not declared the incident a homicide investigation.

The body is being forensically examined, police said.

* Support is available for anyone who may be distressed by calling Lifeline 131 114; Salvo Crisis Line 8736 3295; beyondblue 1300 22 46 36.

When I read stories like this I wonder what state the mother has to be in to abandon her child. Is it a young girl afraid to tell her parents she is pregnant or someone who maybe had an affair and didnt want to tell her partner. It still doesnt excuse the fact that the baby was abandoned but I often wonder about these cases.

Rest in peace little Angel x

Antoinette wrote:When I read stories like this I wonder what state the mother has to be in to abandon her child. Is it a young girl afraid to tell her parents she is pregnant or someone who maybe had an affair and didnt want to tell her partner. It still doesnt excuse the fact that the baby was abandoned but I often wonder about these cases.

Rest in peace little Angel x

I always wonder too, Antoinette. In that area of blocks of flats, where crime is rife and living conditions are probably pretty poor, I wouldn't be surprised if the mother turned out to have been a young girl, whom nobody noticed was pregnant.