Piraquara newborn found abandoned in trash bag

A newborn baby was found abandoned in a trash bag in the Guarituba neighborhood of Piraquara, in the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba, during the early hours of Monday, August 24.

A local resident discovered the infant after hearing noises she initially thought were from an injured cat. The baby, still attached to the umbilical cord and placenta, was found in a transparent bag covered by a black towel. Emergency medical services (Samu) transported the child to the Hospital de Clínicas in Curitiba, where she was treated for hypothermia and suspected fractures in the clavicle and femur. The infant is currently reported to be in stable condition in the Neonatal ICU.

The Civil Police have identified the mother as a 16-year-old girl. In her testimony, she claimed she gave birth alone and, in a state of desperation, believed the child had been born dead. She also alleged that the pregnancy was the result of sexual abuse. The investigation is being treated as a potential case of attempted infanticide and abandonment of a person incapable of self-defense.