A 34-year-old woman has been arrested by the National Police in Lanzarote after allegedly concealing an advanced pregnancy and disposing of the foetus in a rubbish bin.
The case only came to light when she visited a hospital on April 21st due to heavy uterine bleeding, and was referred to the gynaecology department.
Medical staff discovered that she had been 34 weeks pregnant and had given birth prematurely, but showed no signs of having received medical care during the birthing process.
This prompted the activation of police protocols, suspecting that the foetus had been hidden. During police interviews, the woman admitted to suffering a haemorrhage at home, after which she placed the biological remains in a bag and discarded it in a nearby bin.
The National Police, working in conjunction with staff at the Zonzamas landfill site, conducted an extensive search of the waste transported from the specified container but were unable to locate the foetus. The inability to examine the remains has left uncertainty over whether the incident was a spontaneous or induced abortion.
The woman, who did not inform family members of her pregnancy nor seek medical assistance throughout her pregnancy, or the birthing process, was arrested and brought before a judge. She has been released with charges, but the investigation is ongoing.
