Gardai To Canvass People In Area Where Abandoned Baby Was Found

Gardai to canvass people in area where abandoned baby was found

Gardaí will canvass people in Steelstown in Rathcoole this afternoon as part of their attempts to identify the parents of Baby Maria. The newborn was discovered on the side of the road inside a Marks and Spencer bag by passers-by one week ago today. She is currently being cared for by the Child and Family Agency, Tusla. Gardaí are appealing for her mother to contact them, as they're concerned she may need medical attention. They will return to the scene in Rathcoole later and launch a fresh appeal for information. Child protection expert and Wexford native, Shane Dunphy, says the mother may have felt she was doing the best thing for the child. "It's kind of hard-wired into our system to care for our children and to not want to see harm come to them" he said. "And in instances like this where parents behave in uncharacteristic manners by abandoning their children or giving them for somebody else to care for (them)". "Usually you're dealing with someone who thinks that they're doing the right thing, who feels that this is in the best interests of their child" he added.