The girl was found severely malnourished and unable to walk or speak in February 2023 by a partner of her mother's who had gone upstairs to use the toilet and heard a noise that sounded like a baby.
He discovered the little girl, who had a cleft palate and matted hair and was suffering from dehydration, and called the police.
A statement read to the court by the social worker who was first on the scene said: "I was taken aback by what I saw and was extremely shocked to see a baby looking up at me sat in a divan drawer.
"[The baby] stared at me and was rocking back and forth.
"I looked at her mum and asked: 'Is this where you keep her?' The mother replied matter-of-factly: 'Yes, in the drawer. I was shocked the mother did not show any emotion and appeared blase about the situation.
"I asked had anyone else ever seen [the child]? Mum stated: 'No'. It became an overwhelming horror that I was probably the only other face [the girl] had seen apart from her mother's."
This story is from the November 27, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the November 27, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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