A 33-year-old woman on Montreal’s South Shore has been released from custody under certain conditions following the discovery of a newborn left alone in a bus shelter. Longueuil police stated in a news release that the woman is receiving physical and psychological support and is being monitored by appropriate services. She may be required to appear in court if charges are filed. The infant was found in the early hours of Monday at a bus shelter near Chambly Road and Briggs Street, still connected to the placenta and exposed to the cold. Paramedics from the Coopérative des techniciens ambulanciers de la Montérégie reported that the baby was unconscious and underwent resuscitation efforts before being taken to the hospital. The woman was apprehended shortly after the incident.
Although authorities have not confirmed the woman’s relationship to the baby, they are considering the possibility of charging her with infanticide. The police emphasized that the investigation is ongoing to establish the necessary evidence for potential charges.
While police have not confirmed the woman’s housing status, Pierre Rousseau, the head of the nearby shelter La Halte du coin, disclosed that she had utilized their services on the same morning the baby was discovered. According to Rousseau, the woman arrived at the shelter around 3 a.m. and used the warming center before falling asleep in a chair. It was only when she got up a few hours later that shelter staff noticed something unusual. Rousseau alerted the authorities, who then took custody of the woman.
In a separate incident earlier this month, another newborn was found abandoned on a doorstep in Longueuil, wrapped in a blanket with the umbilical cord still attached. Efforts to resuscitate the infant at Charles-Le Moyne Hospital were unsuccessful. In some parts of Europe, the U.S., and Canada, baby boxes or drawers are provided as safe locations for individuals wishing to relinquish a child as a last resort.
Regarding the implementation of such measures in Quebec, Dr. Marc-Antoine Pigeon, an emergency room physician, emphasized the importance of ensuring prompt attention and care for abandoned infants. Quebec’s Minister of Social Services, Lionel Carmant, underscored the existing support services available for individuals facing similar situations, encouraging them to seek help through local resources such as CLSCs or youth protection services.