Post by admin on Jun 28, 2012 11:18:52 GMT 10
A baby girl found dead in a shoebox in southwest Sydney nearly two years ago was "a beautiful stranger", her funeral has heard.
The little girl, named Bridget by police, was placed in a tiny white coffin with white flowers.
About 40 mourners, mostly police and neighbours, gathered at Rookwood Independent Cemetery on Thursday morning.
"For baby Bridget life is no less significant and in fact the care and the love that has been showed to her by people that didn't know her is touching and inspiring," Reverend Ken Fischer told the service.
A gardener found Bridget's body while working at a Strathfield unit block on the morning of August 19, 2010.
She was named Bridget after the Irish saint Bridget of Kildare - the patron saint of babies.
Detective inspector Paul Arnold, who attended the funeral, said little was known about the baby except that she was probably of Asian background and may have been deceased for a number of hours or days.
"We really don't know anything at all about this baby, nor do we know anything about the mother," he said.
"There was no sign of trauma or birth defects."
Bridget was found in a black cardboard gift box, with a black-and-white polka-dotted lid, partially covered with dirt and mulch and wrapped only in a towel.
"This is the whole point (of the funeral)," Mr Arnold told ABC Radio.
"We could have closed down this investigation 12 months ago but we wanted to try and give either this young lady or if her family knew about it, some chance to come forward...
"We've done the right thing here and I think it's the most proper and honourable thing to do, both for the child - and it needs closure I think, and this is the most correct way we can give closure."
Mr Arnold said it was possible there would be a coronial inquest later in the year.
"That will be decided by the coroner."
The little girl, named Bridget by police, was placed in a tiny white coffin with white flowers.
About 40 mourners, mostly police and neighbours, gathered at Rookwood Independent Cemetery on Thursday morning.
"For baby Bridget life is no less significant and in fact the care and the love that has been showed to her by people that didn't know her is touching and inspiring," Reverend Ken Fischer told the service.
A gardener found Bridget's body while working at a Strathfield unit block on the morning of August 19, 2010.
She was named Bridget after the Irish saint Bridget of Kildare - the patron saint of babies.
Detective inspector Paul Arnold, who attended the funeral, said little was known about the baby except that she was probably of Asian background and may have been deceased for a number of hours or days.
"We really don't know anything at all about this baby, nor do we know anything about the mother," he said.
"There was no sign of trauma or birth defects."
Bridget was found in a black cardboard gift box, with a black-and-white polka-dotted lid, partially covered with dirt and mulch and wrapped only in a towel.
"This is the whole point (of the funeral)," Mr Arnold told ABC Radio.
"We could have closed down this investigation 12 months ago but we wanted to try and give either this young lady or if her family knew about it, some chance to come forward...
"We've done the right thing here and I think it's the most proper and honourable thing to do, both for the child - and it needs closure I think, and this is the most correct way we can give closure."
Mr Arnold said it was possible there would be a coronial inquest later in the year.
"That will be decided by the coroner."
