A woman has appeared in the North Shore District Court after a two-year-old was found in a bus luggage compartment. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
A woman accused of ill treating a toddler who was found in a suitcase stowed in a bus luggage compartment has been denied bail.
The two-year-old girl was found on Sunday when the InterCity bus stopped in the Northland town of Kaiwaka.
A passenger asked to get into the luggage compartment and the driver then noticed a bag moving and found the toddler inside.
The woman appeared for a second time in North Shore District Court on Tuesday and didn't enter a plea.
Wearing a purple hoodie, she slumped against the wall with her head bowed.
Judge Anna Fitzgibbon remanded the woman in custody with a referral to the forensics team.
She acknowledged family who were in court and that it was a difficult time for them.
The bus had stopped at this Kaiwaka carpark leading to the Tulip Cafe, Motel. Photo: Kim Baker Wilson / RNZ
Police said yesterday the girl was medically well after extensive medical checks, while Oranga Tamariki said it was working with family and other agencies to ensure her care.
The woman is due next in the Auckland District Court on 13 August.
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