The woman charged with ill-treating a young child who was found in a suitcase stowed in a bus luggage compartment has been granted permanent name suppression.
A hearing was held on Wednesday at the Auckland District Court, which the woman did not attend.
Judge Nicola Mathers said the suppression was because of automatic suppression given to child complainants.
“In this case, obviously the child is the complainant,” she said.
The court was told the woman is on electronic monitored bail and was well engaged with community mental health services.
She was taking medication voluntarily and was not subject to the Mental Health Act, the court heard.
The woman was charged after the bus she and the child were on stopped at Kaiwaka in Northland on August 3.
A passenger asked to go to their luggage and it was then the bus driver noticed a bag moving.
RNZ understands the 2-year-old had been in the suitcase for an hour wearing only a nappy.
She was taken to hospital in a “minor” condition.
At a previous hearing the woman’s fitness to stand trial was raised.
The case will be back before the courts for a case review hearing on December 2.
The Crown filed a memorandum in support of the accused woman receiving permanent name suppression, but on different grounds to what the woman had filed.
rnz.co.nz
