Mother (20) confesses

Lifeless baby found on carport roof in Graz

The scene of the crime in Graz was cordoned off.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

A shock discovery in a housing estate in the Wetzelsdorf district of Graz: on Tuesday afternoon, a local resident discovered a lifeless newborn baby - a boy - on the roof of a carport. According to initial investigations, the mother (20) gave birth to the baby herself the evening before and was unaware of the pregnancy.

Early on Tuesday afternoon, the police received a report that the lifeless body of an unclothed male newborn had been found on the roof of a carport next to a two-storey apartment building. A local resident had made the terrible discovery. 

The Styrian State Office of Criminal Investigation took up the investigation and forensic experts were on site. The large police contingent caused a sensation in the area surrounding the discovery site - a beautiful, quiet residential area in the Styrian capital.

The dead baby was discovered on the roof of this carport.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

Mother "surprised" by birth
The occupants of the house could not be found at first. In the course of the afternoon, things became clearer: the mother, a Croatian national who lived in the house with her family but without the presumed father of the child, is said to have been unaware of the pregnancy and was "surprised", as she told investigators. She was in a state of emergency, a police spokesman said.

The 20-year-old woman is said to have given birth to the baby herself the evening before. She was admitted to Graz Regional Hospital and underwent surgery there in the evening hours. In the meantime, the public prosecutor's office in Graz has ordered the physical examination and arrest of the woman.

The crime scene in Graz was cordoned off.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

Infant thrown out of a roof window
The 20-year-old has confessed. However, she does not claim to have been aware of her pregnancy, nor did her family. The young mother told the police that she had given birth to the baby alone. She then threw the baby out of a roof window. The baby was found undressed.

An autopsy is now to clarify whether it was viable, was stillborn or may have been killed at birth. This is particularly relevant for possible criminal consequences for the mother. According to Austrian criminal law, the killing of a child at birth is a separate offense that is punished with milder sentences than murder.

A crisis intervention team was deployed to support the relatives.

There is an anonymous baby hatch on the grounds of Graz Regional Hospital, outside the obstetrics outpatient clinic, which is accessible at all times. In addition, all Styrian hospitals with obstetrics departments offer the possibility of an anonymous birth.