An Australian couple has been accused of hiding their dead baby’s body in a backyard freezer.
A woman, 32, and man, 33, from Spalding in Geraldton, Western Australia have been charged with interfering with a corpse after police found the baby’s body.
It is believed the couple kept their pregnancy a secret, and the child was dead when it was born. There is no indication that the baby was killed.
The child was born dead in August last year before the woman allegedly put it in a plastic bag.
The man is said to have then put the bag in a freezer, where cops later found it, it has been alleged.
The couple has now been charged with interfering with a corpse with intent to prevent or prejudice an investigation into circumstances surrounding a death.
The child was born dead in August last year before the woman allegedly put it in a plastic bag. The man is said to have then put the bag in a freezer (stock), where it was later found by cops
Officer-in-charge Det-Sen. Sgt Bruce McDonald alleged the woman gave birth at home around August 20 last year.
‘We allege the female placed the deceased child in a plastic bag and left the bag containing the deceased child in a bedroom at the house,’ he said.
‘Around this time, the male partner found the plastic bag . . . observed what was in it and placed it into a freezer in the backyard.’
Shortly after giving birth, the woman went to Geraldton Health Campus feeling unwell.
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The Royal Flying Doctor Service eventually flew her to King Edward Memorial Hospital in Perth for urgent treatment.
Det-Sen. Sgt McDonald claimed the woman had shown signs of recent childbirth but continually denied being pregnant.
Her case was then reported to cops, who carried out a search of the couple’s home and found the baby’s body.
Det-Sen. Sgt McDonald claimed the woman had shown signs of recent childbirth but continually denied being pregnant
The matter was reported to the police, and they launched an investigation, searching the Spalding home and finding the baby’s body in the freezer.
The couple will now face court in early March.
However, the woman has also been charged with fraud after the police alleged she lied about having a terminal medical condition.
She allegedly said she only had five years to live, prompting a friend to start a GoFundMe to raise money for her.
Det-Sen. Sgt McDonald said the accused woman received $3038 from the GoFundMe page donations, which she later spent.
The woman was arrested and charged with gains benefit by fraud on January 10.
She faced Geraldton Magistrates Court on that charge last week and was remanded to February 20.
