Newborn baby is returned to custody of mother who dumped child in bin after birth – report

Authorities say the woman covered the baby in tissues to hide what she had done

File image: Woman handed over custody of newborn she dumped after giving birth (PA Archive)

A woman in China allegedly dumped her newborn baby in a rubbish bin after giving birth inside the lift of a residential building.

The woman, who has not been identified by authorities, was on holiday in Chongqing when she entered the lift with her suitcase on 21 August.

Surveillance footage from inside the lift shows the woman entering at 8.44pm (local time) and then crouching down in the corner to give birth, state-run news outlet the Global Times reported.

The woman was reportedly seen wiping blood from the baby and the soles of her shoes, before exiting the lift at 8.47pm (local time).

She then walks up to a rubbish bin where she dumps the newborn wrapped in tissue papers, according to the report. The woman also tossed some more tissues in the bin in an effort to hide the baby from plain sight.

An elderly man noticed her suspicious behaviour but found nothing after inspecting the bin, the report added.

The woman wiped off the blood stains on her shoes and left after taking another lift.

The baby was later discovered by residents of the building, who called the police for help, it was reported.

The baby was taken to a hospital and discharged after a few days, the Global Times quoted a hospital employee as saying. The newspaper said authorities were able to track down the mother and that the baby was handed over to her and her partner’s custody.

"During the baby's hospital stay, the child's mother and grandmother had been visiting," the staff member was quoted as saying.

District police in Chongqing told the Qilu Evening News that the baby was doing well, but that due to privacy concerns they were unable to share further details.

The incident has led to outrage among Chinese citizens online, one of whom described the woman as “heartless”.

“She threw the baby into the rubbish bin like a piece of trash,” a Weibo user wrote.