This shocking footage shows a mum dumping her newborn in a trash bin inside a residential building shortly after giving birth in a lift.
The unnamed woman was captured on CCTV footage as she tried to get rid of her baby by throwing it in the garbage while visiting Chongqing, in south-central China.
In the video, the woman, dressed in wide overalls and carrying a suitcase, is seen entering a lift at around 8:44pm on 21st August.
Several seconds later, she pulls a baby out from the leg of her pants.
She then calmly takes out tissues to wipe away bloodstains from the baby’s body, as well as from her shoe soles and the floor.
As the lift stops at other floors, she tries to hide the baby in the corner to avoid being noticed by others.
Minutes later, she is seen walking out of the lift with the infant in her left and the suitcase in her right hand.
She tosses the baby into the nearby trash bin and covers it with several tissues.
At that moment, an elderly woman passes by, seemingly sensing the woman’s strange behaviour and trying to figure out what she is doing.
But after apparently not noticing anything unusual, the old woman leaves.
Meanwhile, the mother finishes wiping off the stains from her shoes and enters a different lift.
The baby was later discovered by local citizens who immediately took the baby to hospital.
A security guard at Chongqing Fifth People’s Hospital, surnamed Wang, witnessed the process of the baby being brought to the hospital.
Wang told Chinese media: “That night, I saw a police vehicle bringing the baby to our hospital.
“I heard that the mother came to Chongqing as part of a travel group. Later, the mother and the tour guide arrived, and the police came to take statements.”
A healthcare worker from the hospital revealed: “The baby was discharged from the hospital two days ago and was taken home by the parents.
“During the hospitalisation, the baby’s mother and grandmother have been with the baby.”
Police also told local media: “The child is safe. Due to privacy concerns, we cannot disclose specific details.”
It is unclear why the woman tried to abandon her child nor why authorities later allowed her to take it with her.
It is also unclear what – if any – legal consequences she will be faced with.
The investigation is ongoing.
