American woman in custody after newborn thrown from Paris hotel window

Paris with the Eiffel Tower is pictured from the top of the Arc de Triomphe, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard) (Aurelien Morissard/AP)

PARIS — A young American woman on a European trip was taken into custody after she allegedly threw a newborn out of a hotel window in Paris, killing the baby, authorities said Tuesday.

The baby was reportedly thrown from a second-floor window of a hotel on Monday morning, according to the Paris prosecutor. Emergency responders rushed the newborn to a hospital, but the child was pronounced dead.

The mother was travelling through Europe from the U.S. with a group of young adults. She was taken to a hospital for medical treatment following childbirth and has been placed in custody there, officials said.

The woman was traveling through a Massachusetts-based organization called EF Gap Year, which coordinates travel programs overseas, a spokesperson for EF confirmed Tuesday.

“We are deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic event, and our thoughts are with everyone affected during this difficult time,” Adam Bickelman said in an emailed statement.

“We are fully cooperating with local authorities as they continue their investigation,” the statement said. “Counselling support has been offered to all group members, and we are extending our support to the impacted families.”

The statement didn’t name her.

In Paris, the child protection police unit has been tasked with investigating the case as a homicide of a minor under 15 years old.

Authorities are considering the possibility of pregnancy denial, a condition in which a woman remains unaware of or in denial about her pregnancy until labour.