Woman charged over buried baby is mother

Police and ESR staff investigate a backyard in Churton Park, Wellington, where a baby was found buried. Photo / NZPA

Police say a woman charged in connection with the burial of the body of a newborn baby boy at a Wellington house is the child's mother.

A 21-year-old woman and a 21-year-old male engineer, both from Churton Park, appeared in Wellington District Court today charged with disposing of a child's body with intent to conceal the fact of its birth.

Police said the man was not the father of the baby.

The child's body was buried yesterday afternoon and found after occupants at a house in Hawtrey Terrace, in Churton Park, contacted police last night.

In Wellington District Court today the pair were granted interim name suppression until their next appearance on October 20.

The woman, dressed in white and looking visibly upset, was remanded to a Porirua psychiatric facility.

The man was bailed to a Johnsonville address with conditions not to associate with the woman or contact any prosecution witnesses.

About 20 police were today examining the backyard of the two-storey house where the body was found.

Detective Senior Sergeant Donna Howard of Wellington CIB said officers exhumed the body of the baby at about 4pm and a post-mortem would begin tomorrow.

"Once a postmortem examination is completed, police will be able to determine whether the death is suspicious or if it should be referred to the coroner," she said.

- NZPA