Canadian police have charged a couple with concealing the remains of a newborn baby who had been missing since Friday. The infant's body was discovered in a wooded area near Halifax on Sunday, ending a frantic search that began when the mother arrived at a hospital in critical condition without her child.
Discovery and Charges
Halifax Regional Police reported that the infant's remains were found at approximately 3:20 PM on Sunday in woods off Old Coach Road in Goodwood. The accused, 23-year-old Sukhpreet Singh and his 26-year-old wife Ramandeep Kaur, were scheduled to appear in Halifax provincial court on Monday. Singh is a relative of the 23-year-old mother who gave birth shortly before being hospitalized.
Both Singh and Kaur face charges of concealing the body of a child, obstruction, and offering an indignity to a dead body. The investigation was triggered late Friday when hospital staff alerted police that a young woman had arrived in life-threatening condition and appeared to have recently given birth, but no baby was with her.
Investigation Details
Emergency crews had earlier responded to a distress call at a residence on Willet Street in Clayton Park, where the woman was found and taken to hospital. Officers searched the property but could not locate the newborn. Staff Sgt. Pierre Bourdages said four people known to the woman were taken into custody for questioning over the weekend. Two were later released, while Singh and Kaur were charged.
The Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service will conduct an autopsy to determine the infant's identity, cause of death, and manner of death. Police stated that the woman remains in hospital in critical condition, but investigators do not believe she was injured through violence. "Police believe the woman experienced a medical emergency and do not believe her condition is the result of violence," Halifax Regional Police said in a statement.
Community Impact
Bourdages noted that investigators have not yet been able to speak with the woman due to her medical condition. The discovery of the infant's body has shaken the community. "We have officers that have younger families, we have officers that have young babies," Bourdages said outside police headquarters on Sunday. He added: "It is hard for everybody in the community. It's hard for everyone in the department."
The case continues to develop as authorities await autopsy results and the mother's condition improves enough for questioning.
