'NO COMPASSION' FOR TOT
Mum of abandoned newborn ‘Baby Pearl’ found dead in woodland may have been rape or incest victim
Officers say tot may have been alive when she was left at a Manchester beauty spot four weeks ago
THE MOTHER of a baby abandoned in Manchester woodland may have been a rape or incest victim, police say.
The deceased newborn was discovered naked at a beauty spot almost four weeks ago.
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She was named Pearl by officers who have been trying to find her mother ever since.
They have now revealed the child’s umbilical cord was still attached and showed signs that it had been “severed roughly” - suggesting her mother may have been a victim of abuse and in some distress.
Detective Chief Inspector Lewis Hughes said: “Whoever left Pearl here was someone with no emotional attachment to that baby.
“There was not a scrap of clothing on her, she has been treated with no compassion.
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“If it was the mother, she could be a rape victim, or a victim of abuse or incest - it may be a mother who has concealed the birth from others.”
Officers says Pearl may have been alive when she was left and could have been left to die after being carried up a hill and rolled down a steep rock face.
Police specialists were forced to abseil down to retrieve her body.
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The baby was found on April 4 by a dog walker close to the River Roch near the Back O’ Th’ Moss estate in Heywood, Manchester.
The area, which is just 500 yards from nearby houses, was described as a popular shortcut for residents of the estate.
Her DNA has been checked with national databases, which has thrown up thousands of potential matches, but these matches only include samples from people convicted of crimes or who have come into contact with the police.
A post-mortem examination has proved inconclusive and more tests are needed to establish how the baby died.
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Local residents have left flowers and teddy bears at the scene of the tragedy.
One girl, aged 19, who took flowers to the scene said: "It’s so tragic. We were so touched and just wanted to come and lay these to pay our respects".
Officers carried the flowers into the woodland to lay them near the site where the baby’s body was found.
Another neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I can’t believe what has happened. Nothing like this ever happens here.
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“I didn’t know anything about the baby being found until the police knocked on my door this morning. I felt sick when they told me.
“I can’t believe a poor helpless baby has been left in a field to die.
“I haven’t seen the cordon but the field is quite secluded and away from the houses.
“It’s so sad but we don’t know the circumstances around it.”
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