Tragic details emerge about mother accused of concealing birth of baby found in Alexander Heights drain

Tragic details about a mother who is accused of leaving her newborn baby in a suburban drain have been revealed as a court ruled to keep her identity a secret. The 31-year-old woman did not attend her first appearance at Perth Magistrates Court on Friday after being charged with concealing the birth of her baby at Alexander Heights on August 14. The baby boy was found wrapped in a towel inside a stormwater drain by tradesmen doing routine cleaning. It sparked an outpouring of emotion from the community, who laid flowers and held a vigil in the boy’s honour. The mother came forward after days of calling for information. On Friday, the woman’s solicitor, Karen Farley, made an application to have the woman’s identity suppressed on the grounds that she was “extremely vulnerable”. Ms Farley argued publishing her identity could be detrimental to her mental health and safety. Ms Farley told the court her client was undergoing psychiatric treatment and would receive an assessment in the coming days, with the details to be provided to the court. The woman had been placed under guardianship since being charged. A report by her treating psychiatrist was tendered to the court in support of the suppression order, which outlined her history of mental health diagnosis and severe disabilities. The court was provided with another report by the Disability Services Commission which found the accused had an “extremely low” IQ consistent with the bottom 1 per cent of people in her age group. It was determined by the court that the woman had “exceptional circumstances” which warranted suppressing her identity. Her case was adjourned for further legal advice. She will face court again later next month.