Woman, 33, released from custody after arrest in bus shelter baby’s death

After a woman was arrested following the death of a baby, calls are rising for more to be done to assist homeless women.

A 33-year-old woman has been released from police custody one day after a newborn baby found in a bus shelter in Longueuil, Que., died.

The Longueuil police service (SPAL) issued a news release Tuesday afternoon saying the woman received psychological and physical health care and remains under the care of the appropriate resources.

READ MORE: Don’t abandon your baby, pleads Quebec Health Ministry. Here are resources to help

She will be required to appear in court once the charges have been established, “if an indictment is deemed necessary at a later date,” the news release stated.

The infant, who was less than a month old, was found at 6:30 a.m. Monday in a bus shelter on Chambly Road near Briggs Street in the Vieux-Longueuil borough.

On Monday, the police force was also unable to say if the woman would face any criminal charges, but did not rule out the possibility of charges of infanticide.

Woman found bleeding at homeless shelter

She had been using services at nearby shelter La Halte du Coin, where police arrested her in the lobby.

“She was bleeding a lot,” said intervention worker Marie-Pierre Emond.

The shelter alerted police when they saw news of the abandoned baby.

Police would not confirm if the woman is the child’s mother, but said she will undergo mental, psychological and physical examinations.

Homelessness soaring in Longueuil

“It’s like a faucet. The homeless faucet is open, and it’s coming like maximum,” said Pierre Rousseau, director of La Halte du Coin, adding that demand for services for unhoused people in Longueuil is soaring.

“This year, we have 70 per cent more people that we are refusing. If you compare with the same period last year--70 per cent,” said Rousseau.

What’s more, he said they’re seeing an increase in homeless women, making up 20 per cent of the people seeking shelter.

It’s a sad situation, said Quebec’s Minister of Social Services, Lionel Carmant.

“We’ve been very interested in developing resources all over Quebec,” he said.

Difficult to find resources

Emond argues that homeless people who are pregnant have a hard time getting help, adding that she called 26 different resources on Friday for another woman who is six months pregnant before finding one that could take her in.

Rousseau said that while the city could use more services for homeless people, the real issue is the housing crisis.

“They ask us, how can I find a room? How can I find a place? If I have $800 a month, and I know that people will say, ‘Oh, maybe they do drugs or alcohol. Some.’ Yes. Oh, yeah. But a lot not. It’s poverty that we’re talking about,” he said.

The investigation into the infant’s death is continuing.

Anyone with information or images related to the case is encouraged to anonymously contact police via the Info-Azimut hotline at 450-646-8500, the online form or by calling 911.