Decomposed body of baby boy found in a suitcase in attic

THE badly decomposed body of a newborn baby boy was yesterday discovered in a suitcase in the attic of a family home in West Cork.

The grim discovery was made by the parents of a third-level student. The young woman, who was studying in Limerick, returned home for the summer.

She was admitted to a psychiatric unit of a Dublin hospital in recent weeks.

The body of the baby was found in an unused attic room of the bungalow in a rural location, near Dunmanway.

Unconfirmed reports suggested the parents, a professional couple with two grown-up children, were alerted by an odour emanating from the spare room.

A post mortem is to be conducted today to help determine the circumstances surrounding the death of the infant boy.

Gardaí last night requested media not to identify the well-known local family or their home.

Inspector Sean Healy said the young woman was in a “tender state”. She has not yet spoken to gardaí.

He said the gardaí were treating the matter with great sensitivity.

“The post-mortem results will determine the subsequent nature of any garda investigation,” he said.

A garda presence last night remained outside the detached, well-kept, cream-coloured dwelling, several miles from the town.

The discovery was made around lunchtime yesterday and the occupants of the house alerted a local doctor who notified gardaí.

Assistant State pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster conducted a preliminary examination of the body at the scene. Last night, the body was taken to Cork University Hospital where the post mortem will be carried out today.

Inspector Healy said the occupants of the house were in “a terrible state of shock”. He said gardaí could not comment on the length of time the body had been in the house.

Last month a plea went out to the mother of a 20-week-old foetus found in a waste sewage plant in Borris, Co Carlow.