A 33-year-old woman on Montreal’s South Shore has been released from custody under certain conditions related to the discovery of a deceased newborn left unattended in a bus shelter on Monday morning. Longueuil police disclosed in a news release that the woman is receiving physical and psychological assistance and is being monitored by appropriate support services. If charges are filed, she will be summoned to court.
Authorities located the infant in a bus shelter on Chambly Road near Briggs Street in the early hours of Monday. The newborn was found naked, connected to the placenta, and extremely cold, as reported by the Coopérative des techniciens ambulanciers de la Montérégie, the paramedic service for Quebec’s Montérégie region. The baby was unresponsive when discovered, and resuscitation efforts were administered until the infant was transported to the hospital. Subsequently, the woman was taken into custody.
While police did not confirm the woman’s identity as the baby’s mother, they hinted at a potential charge of infanticide against her. Investigations are ongoing to verify specific details that will assist in determining the appropriate charges in this case.
Although authorities have not explicitly stated that the woman is homeless, Pierre Rousseau, who manages the nearby shelter La Halte du coin, revealed that the woman had utilized their services early that morning. Rousseau mentioned that she arrived around 3 a.m., used the warming center, and fell asleep in a chair. It wasn’t until she got up a few hours later that the shelter staff noticed something unusual. Details of the incident were shared with the police following the discovery of the baby nearby.
Additionally, another newborn was discovered on the doorstep of a residence on Bourgeoys Street in Longueuil earlier this month. The baby, a boy, was found wrapped in a blanket with the umbilical cord still attached. Dr. Marc-Antoine Pigeon, an emergency room physician at Charles-Le Moyne Hospital, was among the team that attempted to resuscitate the infant without success.
Baby boxes, which serve as safe locations for individuals to relinquish a child as a last resort, are available in some U.S. states, European countries, and certain Canadian provinces. When asked about implementing such a system in Quebec, Dr. Pigeon emphasized the importance of ensuring prompt attention and care for abandoned infants. Quebec’s Minister of Social Services, Lionel Carmant, highlighted existing support services for individuals facing similar situations, encouraging those in need to seek assistance from local resources such as CLSCs or youth protection agencies.