A police search for the remains of a newborn baby in a suburb in Sydney's north-west was launched on Tuesday after authorities received new information that suggested the child had been murdered and buried on a property.
NSW Police confirmed in a statement that authorities from the State Crime Command's Homicide Squad had been informed of the birth, and suspected murder, of a baby in "late 2007 or early 2008" who was later buried on a rural property outside of Sydney.
"Strike Force Enact, which was subsequently established to investigate the reports, has involved extensive inquiries with the Department of Family and Community Services (FACS) and NSW Health," the statement said.
"As a result of their inquiries, strike force detectives and officers attached to the Public Order and Riot Squad commenced a search at a property on Cliftonville Road, South Maroota, about 8am today."
The mother is understood to have been in her late teens when she gave birth to the baby, who is only thought to have been alive for a matter of days before being killed, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. It is also believed there are no records from a NSW hospital confirming the baby's birth.
Detective Chief Inspector Angelo Memmolo from the NSW Police Homicide Squad also appealed to anyone in the surrounding community with any information that could assist inquiries to come forward to authorities.
"An investigation into the death of a baby will always be delicate and challenging for police and this incident is of great concern to us," he said.
"We are hoping someone in the community may have information relating to the circumstances surrounding the baby's death.
"While there are restrictions around what we can say publicly at this stage, we believe in these circumstances, this could be enough to spark someone's memory. If anyone has knowledge about the possible murder of a baby around this time, please get in touch with us."
The search is expected to be extended due to the area surrounding the property being dense bushland.
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