The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) announced over the weekend that they are taking over the case of a newborn baby found dead last week aboard Carnival Cruises’ Dream ship.
The infant’s body was discovered by a crew member in a guest cabin while the ship was en route to St. Maartin. The cruise line informed authorities prior to docking in St. Maarten.
International jurisdiction issues are at play in the case, which is still in the fact finding and investigating stages. There has been limited information released as of press time. It is known that the newborn’s mother is currently being questioned, but has yet to be charged. The mother is just 20 years old and is a U.S. citizen, but not a resident of Florida.
When the Carnival Dream docked in Port Carnival, Florida on Saturday, the young mother was not aboard. Instead, an FBI evidence response team met the ship to gather more information for their ongoing investigation. Presumably the mother is still in St. Maarten. It is unclear whether FBI agents or French authorities are questioning her.
The FBI released a statement that they have been working with Carnival Cruise Lines, who have been “fully cooperative.” They also confirmed that since the case is still in the fact-finding stages, “no information is being released regarding suspects at this time.” It is worth noting that neither the FBI nor Carnival have released a statement that mentions the father or if the mother was traveling alone.
It is also currently unclear how the newborn was brought on the ship since Carnival Cruise policy prohibits babies under six months. One theory being considered is that the mother gave birth aboard the ship. However, Carnival policy also prohibits pregnant women from traveling after 25 weeks.
By Lily J. Kosner for PeterGreenberg.com
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Related links: MSNBC, Cruise Critic, Daily Mail, USA Today
