A New Zealand woman was arrested on Sunday after travelling on a bus with a two-year-old girl trapped in her luggage.
DI Simon Harrison said the 27-year-old woman had been charged with ill treatment and neglect of a child.
Police were called to a bus depot in Kaiwaka, 60 miles (100km) north of Auckland, after the bus driver became concerned about a bag moving during a scheduled stop.
“When the driver opened the suitcase, they discovered the two-year-old girl,” Harrison said. “The little girl was reported to be very hot, but otherwise appeared physically unharmed.”
The luggage had been stored beneath the bus passengers, in a separate compartment.
Harrison said the girl was in hospital undergoing an extensive medical assessment. He added that the driver prevented “what could have been a far worse outcome”.
Further charges were possible, Harrison said. New Zealand’s ministry for children, Oranga Tamariki, has been notified.
