Mother of baby found dead on Gold Coast beach released on bail: Report

The mother of a nine-month-old baby girl whose body was found washed up on a Gold Coast beach last month has been granted bail and will be released to a supervised mental health facility, the ABC reported on Tuesday afternoon.

The baby was found unresponsive on Surfers Paradise beach on November 19. It is alleged the baby died in New South Wales, before her body washed up at Surfers Paradise beach.

The 23-year-old woman, who can’t be named for legal reasons, appeared in Tweed Heads Local Court via video link from Grafton Jail on Tuesday, charged with failing to provide for a child and causing danger of death. She was extradited last Thursday from Queensland to NSW and charged in Tweed Heads.

Magistrate Jeff Linden granted the mother bail on Tuesday to a northern NSW mental health facility that can’t be named, the ABC reported. Under the condition of her bail, she will be required to follow treatment plans and take all medication as directed by the facility, and report to police every day. She has also been ordered not to contact witnesses and to stay away from Tweed Heads — except to attend court.

Read more: Mother charged after baby girl’s body found on Gold Coast

The latest update in the case after the baby’s homeless 47-year-old father was charged with murder late last month.

Police and paramedics were called to Staghorn Avenue, the Esplanade, last month to attend to a young girl who was unresponsive on Surfers Paradise beach.

Emergency Services officers conducted CPR at the scene, however, they were unable to save the baby girl and she was declared deceased at the scene. The parents of the baby, the 48-year-old male and his 23-year-old partner, were reportedly homeless and living in parks near Surfers Paradise.

Surfers Paradise is one of the Gold Coast’s most popular tourist spots and is often teeming with late-night revellers during the summer. The tragic incident occurred during one of the Gold Coast’s busiest weeks of the year, with thousands of school leavers descending upon its sands for Schoolies Week.

Read more: Tragic baby’s final hours ‘revealed’ after body found on Gold Coast beach

According to the Courier Mail, the woman has formally entered a plea of not guilty. Her case has been adjourned until February 25 next year.

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