baby left on plane

[wessex19]

source AAP;

New Zealand police are investigating whether a passenger abandoned her newborn child after giving birth aboard an international flight to the country from Samoa, an official said on Thursday.

Initial reports suggested the mother left the baby aboard the plane upon landing in New Zealand ; others suggested she then tried to return for the baby. Police declined to comment on the reports.

"We are investigating suggestions that the baby was abandoned on board the aircraft," police communications manager Ana-Mari Gates-Bowey told The Associated Press. "We are not 100 per cent sure."

Gates-Bowey said "the mother and baby are both well and at (a maternity ward in) Middlemore Hospital and back together."

The Pacific Blue airline said in a statement "a female guest gave birth on board our flight DJ94 from (the Samoan capital) Apia to Auckland this morning."

"We are relieved to have been informed that both mother and child are reunited, are well and are now being looked after in hospital," the statement added.

News agency New Zealand Press Association quoted an unnamed Auckland Airport staffer saying it was not known if other passengers and crew on the Pacific Blue flight from Samoa noticed the woman was in labour.

It quoted the airport staff member saying that "the baby was found on the aircraft" after landing.

Police said they were still investigating whether the airline was advised the woman was in an advanced stage of pregnancy.

[startingout]

somewhat scary to think that people did not notice... or is it the case of I dont want to be the one to take the blame for blabbing.

[ZK-NSN]

somewhat scary to think that people did not notice

Have you ever been to South Auckland? If you have you may have noticed some Pacific Island woman are rather "chunky" shall we say, If this is the case with this woman then I bet a doctor would have to take a second look let alone a 19 year old flight attentant boarding a flight at some silly hour of the morning. Most pax would have been asleep during the flight.
The baby was reported to have been found in the rubbish bin.
Have to wait for all the facts to come out but if this is the case I hope they throw the biggest and heaviest book they can at the :mad:.

Its not the kind of thing you get in trouble for blabbing about.

[remoak]

you may have noticed some Pacific Island woman are rather "chunky"

Some...???

Cleaners apparently found the baby stuffed into the toilet waste bin. Probably lucky as it was no doubt full of soft (but damp) paper towels.

Hard to think of a good excuse if all this turns out to be true. Although no doubt CYF will blame it all on the father...

[Joker 10]

This is an incredibly sad episode, for a mother to be so distressed she would abandon a baby is something we all should be supporting her to get competent medical and Psych care.

This is not about aviation, it is about human frailty.

[Mr & Mrs Rocketboots]

This is a PR disaster for PB.



Why? Should they have been monitoring cameras installed in the toilets to prevent this?


Who'd want to fly an airline with people like that on board when there's plenty of other choices?



And then there are the drug dealers, con artists, pedophiles, rapists etc who don't fly on any of the other airlines around the world?

[dudduddud]

Well yes but those people aren't as visible as this story is. It's all about the public's perception of the airline and the perception the public is getting of Pacific Blue from this incident is not good at all.

[codgepiece]

Latest thing on Fairfaxes stuff.co.nz

Charges likely for plane birth mum
Last updated 15:55 20/03/2009
Police are likely to prosecute a woman who allegedly abandoned her newborn baby after she gave birth on a flight to Auckland yesterday.

Police began an investigation following reports that the woman abandoned her newborn baby shortly after a Pacific Blue flight from Apia to Auckland landed about 5.20am.

"Police are currently investigating the mother's actions after the birth of the child," a Counties-Manukau police spokeswoman said this afternoon.

"A likelihood of this investigation is a criminal prosecution."

The woman, believed to be a Samoan citizen, and her child were taken to Auckland's Middlemore Hospital after they were reunited at the airport.

The woman was reportedly trying to exit the airport but had forgotten her passport. She sought help from authorities, who noticed she was pale and bloodstained.

An Auckland Airport spokeswoman said "the baby was found on the aircraft" after landing.

One report quoted sources as saying that the baby was born in the plane's toilet and then abandoned in a rubbish bin.

The woman underwent surgery yesterday before police were able to speak to her.

Pacific Blue's website says pregnant women need medical clearance to board a flight if they had experienced complications or had passed the 36-week mark.

It also trains staff to check whether passengers are pregnant, though the airline did not say if these checks were carried out on the woman in question.

- NZPA

It appears they are going to throw some sort of book at her anyway, weight and density yet to be determined.

[Sqwark2000]

hmmm, not really that impressed that the police were "investigating whether the baby had been abandoned... " WTF! what else would you call a new born baby in a rubbish bin on a jetliner or any rubbish bin anywhere???? :mad:

[Fark'n'ell]

Charges likely for plane birth mum
Last updated 15:55 20/03/2009
Police are likely to prosecute a woman who allegedly abandoned her newborn baby after she gave birth on a flight to Auckland yesterday.

And what the hell is that going to achieve.Typical establishment in this country.Persecute and prosecute.

[ZK-NSN]

Stick her on the next plane back to samoa, I dont care what culture you come from, throwing you baby in a rubbish bin is a :mad:ing disgrace. Bull:mad: to all the touchy-feely PC crap. Deport the bitch or throw her in jail.

[remoak]

And what the hell is that going to achieve.Typical establishment in this country.Persecute and prosecute.

Of course you are right. let's give her a parade, citizenship, and $500,000 to spend down Queen St...:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

The point of a prosecution is to punish wrongdoing. In case it has escaped your attention, this baby could easily have died. The mother was clearly rational and knew exactly what she had done - there is no excuse.

She will no doubt get the psychiatric help she needs, and then hopefully be shipped straight back from whence she came.

It saddens me when the rights (?) of the mother are championed, and the rights of the innocent baby are ignored.