Tuesday, 20 October 2015 - 14:33
Second dead baby found on one street in Heerhugowaard
The body of a second baby has been found in Heerhugowaard. This body was discovered during the course of the investigation into the body of another baby found on the same street on October 8th.
The first baby's body was discovered by a local resident. She found the baby's corpse wrapped in a shopping bag in her storage shed. The resident, Sandra Popma, called in the police and quickly revealed that the bag belonged to a homeless friend who used the shed for storage.
The police did not report the discovery of the second baby earlier because DNA tests first had to be done to determine whether the baby is related to the owner of the shed or the homeless woman who used it for storage. The Netherlands Forensic Institute determined that neither appears to be the mother of either of the babies. The police have not revealed whether the babies are related to each other or what their gender is.
"The police can imagine that this particular case looses emotions and raises question. However, we ask for your understanding for our reticence in providing information", the police write in a statement on their website. "A lot of information has been made public. This can complicate the investigation. Both potential witnesses and suspects can be influenced."
Heerhugowaard mayor Han ter Heegde told newspaper AD that he is extremely shocked by the discovery of the second baby in his municipality. "It is a new blow, certainly for the neighborhood", he said.
The homeless lady who used the shed for storage is currently in prison for an unrelated offense. Her brother previously told AD that she was imprisoned for a number of fines and shoplifting.