Gardai are still trying to trace the mother of a Christmas baby found dead on a beach.
They have no idea who gave birth to little Belle, almost three years ago in December 2019.
The stillborn infant was found covered in sand on a strand outside Balbriggan, north county Dublin.
The girl had been there a couple of days when she was discovered by a dog out walking with its owner.
Gardai have a full DNA profile of the child following a postmortem but little else to go on.
A garda source said: “We are three years following this case and no nearer finding the mother.
“We would appeal for her to come forward and reassure her she did nothing wrong.
“It would be nice to know who Belle really was, what was the circumstances of her birth, and how and why did she end up dying in the beach.
“The only way we could find the mum at this stage is if she commits a crime and her DNA is put into our system.
“Then her match would come up”.
The baby was christened Belle by gardai as the strand is known locally as Bell’s beach.
It is understood she has been buried but her remains can be exhumed at any time.
Officers have not given up hope the baby’s mother will eventually come forward.
The garda source added: “I am sure the mum must lie in bed wondering at night where she is buried.
“It must be very hard on her. The whole story is very sad.
“Our investigation is very much open and we would welcome any new leads.”
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