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An 18-year-old American woman has been arrested in Paris after she was accused of hurling her newborn child reportedly “with the umbilical cord” still attached out of a hotel window.
The incident unfolded around 6 a.m. Monday when the mother allegedly threw her baby from the second-floor window of an Ibis Styles hotel in eastern Paris, located in the 20th district in Porte de Montreuil, according to a police source and the Paris public prosecutors office.
Despite being rushed to the Robert Debre hospital, the newborn succumbed to the brutal injuries and died at around 7:45 am local time.
Sources from that office told CBS News that the investigators are looking into the possibility that the woman “had been in denial of her pregnancy.”
“The newborn was treated urgently but did not survive. The juvenile protection brigade was tasked with the investigation into the homicide of a minor under the age of 15,” a statement from the prosecutor’s office, that was given to multiple media outlets, read.
Local media reports that residents of the area call authorities after hearing the screams of other passersby around 6:00 am.
“The mother, an American national, is part of a group of young adults traveling in Europe. She was taken to hospital where she is to undergo an operation following her delivery. She is also taken into custody on-site. The possibility of denial of pregnancy is considered,” the statement continued.
The Independent contacted the Paris public prosecutor’s office and the U.S. embassy in Paris for further information.
The mother, who was reportedly traveling with a “group of young adults traveling in Europe,” is said to have given birth in the hotel room on the second floor before attempting to rid of the child.
The traumatic scene outside of the hospital in the aftermath attracted numerous officials, including representatives from the prosecutor’s office.
“The baby had already been taken away but the police were still there. It’s difficult to believe that this happened here. No one knows if the mother did it deliberately or not, and everyone is shaken. It’s like a nightmare, something you never want to see, especially not in your own street,” an unnamed witness told The Times.
A murder investigation has been launched and the mother is said to be receiving treatment post-delivery.
The Ibis Styles Hotel where the incident allegedly took place is situated on the outskirts of the city centre, close to the Place de la Nation, and a short metro away from Paris’ major tourist sites.
