Blacktown police turn to DNA tests in search for abandoned baby’s mum

Police are employing forensic technologies to try and locate the mother of a newborn baby girl abandoned a week ago in the backyard of a western Sydney home.

A week after a newborn baby girl was abandoned in the backyard of a western Sydney home, police still have no clues as to who – or where – her mother is, and have employed forensic technologies to try and locate her.

The baby girl is still in the care of nurses at Blacktown Hospital, after she was recently found in the backyard of a Blacktown home.

She was born that morning, and still had her umbilical cord attached when the Carlos family found her on a chair near their backdoor on Girra Road.

Police are very concerned for the physical and mental wellbeing of the baby’s mother, and have urged her to come forward, assuring her she is not in any trouble.

Blacktown Police Inspector Troy Williams said detectives had sent several items for testing, and were hoping to make a DNA match to the baby’s parents.

The seat in the backyard of the home in Blacktown in Sydney where an unknown person left a newborn baby girl on Friday. Police are now searching for the infant's mother. Picture: Gaye Gerard

“We did seize some exhibits from where the baby was found as a means to try to identify her mother,” he said.

“We are waiting on those results and whether we find a match.”

Detectives go door-to-door as police continue their frantic search for the child’s mother. Picture: Julian Andrews

Inspector Williams said they had received a handful of calls and tips from the public, however, they had not led detectives any closer to the baby’s mother.

While police have searched for CCTV and possible leads on the baby’s mum, and how the newborn ended up in the backyard, so far they have had no luck.

“She is not in any trouble at all,” he said.

“We just want to make sure she is okay and give her the support she needs.

“This is not something that occurs often and that’s where our concern lies.”

The baby is being cared for at Blacktown Hospital. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gaye Gerard

At just nine days old, the baby was still in the care of the hospital as of Friday, and was in good health.

A Department of Communities and Justice spokesperson said they were working with NSW Health to “support the care and wellbeing of the baby and the mother when she comes forward”.

“We urge her to make contact with a hospital or the police,” they said.

When a baby is abandoned in NSW, emergency powers under section 43 or 44 of the Children and Young Persons Act are used to bring the child under the care responsibility of the state.

Under these circumstances, the child is placed in the “day-to-day care” of an authorised carer while further inquiries are made to locate the parents.

If the mother or family cannot be located, or they do not want to resume care of the child, Children’s Court final orders would be sought – placing the child in the parental responsibility of the Minister and adoption would be considered.

In 2007, a baby girl named Joan was left on the steps of a Sydney church. Like the baby girl left in Blacktown, her umbilical cord was also still attached.

She was looked after by temporary foster carers after parents and relatives failed to come forward.

Just over a month after she was born, the NSW Children’s Court granted the NSW Department of Community Services (DOCS) long-term parental responsibility for baby Joan until she turned 18.