‘Please come forward’: Detective’s plea to mother of newborn baby found in Perth drain

Police are investigating whether a baby boy found in a stormwater drain in Perth’s north on Monday afternoon was stillborn or died after birth, as they desperately try to track down the infant’s mother.

Officers were called to La Salle Road in Alexander Heights about 1pm to reports the child’s body had been found by two workmen.

On Tuesday, police confirmed the baby was a newborn boy who had been in the drain for “several days”.

“Homicide squad have taken carriage of this investigation, and we’ve worked throughout the night and throughout the morning to try and bring a resolution to this investigation,” Detective Senior Sergeant Stephen Cleal said.

“There is no evidence to suggest that that little boy was washed through the drain. What we believe is the child was placed in that drain.”

Cleal said police had “serious concerns” about the baby’s mother.

“It is a priority of the homicide squad to identify the mother of that child,” he said.

“We have serious concerns for the mother’s health, the mother’s welfare, and that is a priority for us.

“We want to help that mother. That is our priority. If you are watching, if you are listening, if you are that mother, please come forward and make yourself known to police.

“We would love to help you.

“If you are somebody that knows something about this, knows the mother, please don’t hesitate to advise police with what you know. We would love to help that mother.”

Cleal said police were working with hospitals and medical centres to see if the child’s mother had presented for help.

He said the workmen were in the area clearing the drains of debris and checking for blockages when they came across the infant.

“It was by coincidence that they were there,” he said.

“There was no information that sent workers to that drain. This was a chance discovery. They were very unprepared. Not that you can prepare for a discovery like this, but they were very unprepared.”

He added that it was a “shocking and confronting scene” for the men, and said his heart went out to them.

WA Premier Roger Cook echoed the sentiments at a press conference early on Tuesday morning.

“This is a horrifying scenario,” he said.

“From the mother of this child through to the discovery of this child’s body by those drain workers, I cannot think of a more harrowing set or circumstances to be confronted with.

“[This] goes to the heart of everyone’s sense of humanity – a small child whose life has passed. Tragic, tragic circumstances.”

Police remained at the site throughout the night gathering evidence from the scene and said they were still unclear of the baby’s nationality.

Anyone with information is urged to call police.

“Any movement, any suspicious activity in the area, any information that anyone has, whether you believe it’s significant or not, please let us know and let us decide if it’s relevant or not,” Cleal said.

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