Baby's body found buried on beach

Children playing at a Sydney beach on Sunday discovered the body of a baby buried under the sand, Australian investigators said, just a week after a newborn was found crying at the bottom of a roadside drain.

New South Wales police said they had established a crime scene at the beach in the eastern Sydney suburb of Maroubra after the discovery on Sunday morning.

"A number of children were playing at the southern end of South Beach when they located the body of a baby in the sand," police said in a statement.

"Investigations into the child's death are continuing," the statement said. "However, the age and sex of the child (are) yet to be determined."

Inspector Andrew Holland said the "very small infant child" was buried naked under about 30 centimeters of sand near the edge of some dunes, adding that the boys who found the body were just 6 and 7 years old.

"The children were digging - the child was buried under about 30 centimeters of sand," Holland told reporters.

"The two young children reported to their father who was nearby, who in turn contacted police.

"Unfortunately, due to the decomposition, we can't tell (the age of the baby) at this point," he said.

Investigators also were unable to immediately say how long the body had been there, Holland said.

He said investigators were looking through birth and hospital records as well as consulting with the Missing Persons Unit in an effort to find the child's parents.

An autopsy will be conducted to determine how the baby died, police added.

Randwick Mayor Ted Seng said South Maroubra was one of the area's more isolated beaches, but that it was patrolled by lifeguards and volunteers.

"To say that I'm shocked is an understatement," Seng said in a statement. "I cannot imagine the circumstances that led to this tragic event."

(China Daily 12/01/2014 page10)