A Grassy Park woman initially charged for the abandonment of a newborn baby is now facing a murder charge.

31-year-old Ireesha Francis appeared in the Wynberg Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

She is said to have returned home without the baby on Saturday, after giving birth the day before.

A search ensued for the baby girl, and the newborn was found deceased, wrapped in blankets and plastic, in a drain in Lotus River on Sunday. It’s believed the woman told police where to find the body.

Francis had already been in police custody on Saturday for child abandonment.

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According to reports, Francis had given birth at the Retreat Midwife Obstetric Unit Hospital, with herself and the baby reportedly in good health, before her discharge from the hospital.

Francis returns to court for a bail application on 14 May.