'Someone out there knows' - DNA testing next step in identifying baby dumped at Auckland recycling plant

Somewhere in Auckland there is a woman who may be in medical or personal crisis.

And police are desperate to find her, and help her. Sometime two weekends ago she gave birth to a baby girl but for some reason the woman discarded her newborn into a pile of recycling that was picked up by a truck and dumped at an Onehunga sorting plant.

More than 100 trucks delivered loads to the plant that day - from all across Tamaki Makaurau - and if police didn't have their work cut out for them already, within 24 hours the country was plunged into a national lockdown.

Police say they are determined to find the woman who gave birth to the nameless baby girl, firstly to make sure she is safe but also so the abandoned infant can be laid to rest.

Detective Inspector Scott Beard told the Herald how frustrating and sad it was to have a baby girl lying in a morgue without any family, without any respect, without any love.

Police got the call the night of Monday, August 16.

The baby's body had been found by staff sorting recycling at Visy Recycling in Onehunga.

Officers raced to the scene, cordoned it off, started an intensive and arduous examination of the area where the baby was found.

Her body was later taken to the Auckland mortuary and a post-mortem examination was done.

Police examine the VISY recycling facility on Victoria Road Onehunga where the body of a newborn baby was found. Photo / Hayden Woodward

The pathologist was able to confirm the baby had been carried to full term.

But that is about all.

Her cause of death and ethnicity are yet to be established.

"At this stage we are not 100 per cent sure whether she was stillborn or otherwise," said Beard.

"We are keeping an open mind - we don't know her cause of death."

Further testing - including toxicology - is being done and it may be some time before there are any answers.

However, finding her mother would help police. A lot.

Investigators are keeping an open mind - and casting no judgment - on the woman.

"It may be a young person and there are cultural issues ... shame or embarrassment about being pregnant so has hidden it," muses Beard.

"If it was a first pregnancy it's likely the mother will have complications so that is a worry.

"It could be someone older who carried the pregnancy without anyone knowing.

Detective Inspector Scott Beard. Photo / Dean Purcell

"It's just so sad that in this day and age ... someone can think that is the only option for them."

Beard revealed that the next step in his team's investigation was to work with forensic scientists on the baby's DNA profile.

That could then be run through various databases available to authorities to see if either of her parents or family can be traced.

"That is a work in progress," he said.

A blue plastic sack style carrier bag found near the body is being examined and detectives are tracing where it could have been bought.

Beard suggested earlier the baby may have even been inside the bag.

They are also looking at every load that came to the plant the day the baby was found.

"There were 100 trucks that came in that day from across Tamaki Makaurau, all three Auckland districts," said Beard.

"So we are working out where all the trucks came from."

The bag the baby girl could have been discarded in. Photo / NZ Police

He said it had been established the baby was born in the two days or so before she was found but police were no closer to finding out where or how that birth had happened.

On Friday last week clothing found near her little body was photographed and released to the public with an appeal for anyone who recognised items to contact police.

One of the items was a Christmas-themed green onesie with an image and caption of a "baby deer".

In an odd twist, the investigation had earlier been dubbed Operation Deer - a random name generated from a police database.

"That was just a coincidence," said Beard.

"We had already named the operation before the clothing items were found.

"We have had a few people contact us about the clothes but nothing of significance."

Beard said a huge challenge for his team was the national level 4 lockdown.

The Prime Minister announced the move shortly after Beard held a press conference about the baby's death and pushed the tragedy to the very back of the news queue.

If you recognise any of these items contact the Operation Deer team. Photo / Supplied

So on top of social distancing and other lockdown-related issues hampering the physical investigation, crucial coverage and dissemination of information was lost.

"The baby was found Monday night and we did a media release on the Tuesday - we knew it would be something that would make the 6pm television news, which is always helpful with something like this," Beard explained.

"Then a few hours later, Covid came in and completely trumped us ... the TV news had no coverage, which would have had a huge impact and assisted us.

"But, in saying that the television news channels had the story online and it was in print media and on their websites and shared on social media pages - it was shared around a lot."

Beard said the media people consumed across various corners of the community monitored varied and it would have aided the Operation Deer team to have full saturation.

But that was not the case.

"Who have we missed?" he wondered.

"But we totally get that Covid is the priority - that the safety of all New Zealander's comes first.

"It's just a bit more difficult."

A belt found near the body of a newborn baby at an Onehunga recycling plant. Photo / Supplied

He said the case had affected his staff and he hoped that the baby's mother could be found soon to help everyone get closure.

Detectives working on Operation Deer were trained and seasoned investigators but this was a unique case that had touched them all.

"It's a different kind of case ... we can get adults hurting adults and someone dies, but when it's a baby with no ability to care for themselves, and they rely on the adults in their life to protect them…

"Babies are just so vulnerable and they need their family."

Beard desperately wanted to speak to the baby's mother - or anyone who suspects they know where the little girl came from.

"If she wants to make contact, either directly or through an intermediary, just come forward," he pleaded, again.

If you have information about the baby or her mother please contact police. Photo / NZME

"We want to do is show this baby girl the respect she deserves and give her a proper funeral - a name, a send-off.

"But also we need to find out what's gone on in the mum's world where this is what she has had to do - is there something more we need to look at in terms of her care?

"And obviously, medically, we need to make sure she is okay and we want to get her the wrap-around support she needs.

"That is the first priority when we identify the mother."

Beard said there would be people who suspected a woman they knew could be the mum, or there may be someone in their family who was not themselves or behaving strangely.

"Someone out there will know. We need to know," he said.

"Someone will have maybe talked about a pregnancy or been pregnant and now suddenly they are not.

"It could be someone who, when this baby comes on the news or is discussed in their vicinity, they start acting a bit different, nervous.

"Our aim is to find the mother and then we will go from there.

"And of course, when we find the mother, we can give this wee baby girl a proper send off."

Can you help?

• Anyone with information can contact the Operation Deer inquiry team 105 quoting file number 210816/2825 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.