New Zealand Police have charged a 27-year-old woman with ill-treatment or neglect of a child after a bus driver discovered a two-year-old girl alive inside a suitcase stowed in the vehicle’s luggage compartment. The incident occurred on Sunday during a scheduled stop in the settlement of Kaiwaka, about 60 miles northwest of Auckland, when a passenger requested access to the hold and the driver noticed the bag moving. Detective Inspector Simon Harrison said the child was "very hot but otherwise appeared physically unharmed" when the suitcase was opened. She was taken to hospital for further assessment and remained under medical supervision on Sunday night. The coach operator, InterCity, confirmed one of its buses was involved and praised the driver’s swift action, which police said likely averted a more serious outcome. Authorities have not disclosed the relationship between the woman and the toddler or how long the child was inside the suitcase. The suspect, whose identity is suppressed under New Zealand law, is scheduled to appear in North Shore District Court on Monday, 4 August. Police have appealed for additional witnesses as the investigation continues.