In a distressing incident in southern Gran Canaria, a newborn baby’s body was discovered abandoned in a hospital toilet, shocking both staff and authorities. A 31-year-old woman has been arrested by the National Police in connection with the case, which is currently under investigation.
The tragic finding took place at San Roque Meloneras Hospital in the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana on a Sunday morning when a member of the hospital staff found the infant lifeless in a toilet around 9:20 am.
Reports indicate that the body, wrapped in paper and covered in blood, was left on the hospital premises. The staff member promptly alerted the hospital’s security team and management, who then contacted the National Police.
Upon arrival, officers from the Scientific Police and the Judicial Police of the Maspalomas station secured the area, examined security footage, and began collecting evidence to identify the individual responsible for abandoning the newborn.
Through CCTV analysis, authorities identified a woman who had entered the bathroom during the alleged birth. Subsequently, she was located outside the hospital near a bus shelter at the facility’s entrance. The 31-year-old Spanish national was apprehended while still wearing the same blood-stained clothing she had on during the birth, though her reported drug addiction issues remain unconfirmed pending further investigation.
The woman informed the police that she was unaware of her pregnancy, despite being close to full term. She claimed to have visited the hospital feeling unwell the previous evening and gave birth alone in a toilet without seeking medical help.
Allegedly, the baby was born alive and cried before she wrapped it in paper and left it in the bathroom, exiting the hospital without notifying anyone. She purportedly returned to the hospital the next morning to check on the newborn, leading to her arrest for suspected child abandonment.
Following her arrest, the woman was taken to the Gran Canaria Maternity and Children’s Hospital for custody and post-birth recovery. Authorities clarified that she had not been admitted to the hospital before giving birth and had not sought medical attention earlier.
The investigation is ongoing, with police focusing on determining the circumstances surrounding the birth and the cause of the infant’s death. The body has been sent to the Forensic Anatomical Institute for examination, and efforts are underway to verify the woman’s statements to establish a clear timeline of events.