A newborn girl who was found with horrific injuries on the outskirts of Belfast five months ago was laid to rest in an interdenominational service yesterday.
Around 150 people, among them politicians and police officers, attended the moving service at a funeral parlour on the Ravenhill Road. Many of them, among them the DUP MP for Strangford, Ms Iris Robinson, and a PSNI detective, Sgt Lindsay McNair, were at pains to choke back tears. Sgt McNair, who was part of the police team investigating the infant's death, carried the little white coffin.
The baby, named Carrie by police, was found in a plastic bag in undergrowth near Lough Moss Leisure Centre, Carryduff, on March 26th. She had been stabbed 11 times and had suffered severe head injuries.
Four children playing in the area found her body. Brothers Raymond (13) and Ryan (10) Waddell, Danielle Clifton (10), and Rachel Mills (10), walked behind the tiny coffin yesterday before throwing a single pink rose each into her grave and placing teddy-bears by the gravestone.
The children have had nightmares since making the discovery and have received counselling by police. Accompanied by their parents, they yesterday insisted that they had wanted to see Carrie laid to rest. Danielle Clifton said she would never forget the moment when she found the infant.
"I just pulled the bag open and the baby was just lying in there I am glad she has been buried and has a headstone," she added.
A giant cuddly polar bear was left to stand guard at Carrie's grave by another child from Carryduff. The inscription on the stone read: "Baby Carrie. Known only unto God." Police have spent the past five months trying to identify Carrie's mother who they say must be deeply traumatised.
In May they carried out extensive DNA testing of 700 women in the Carryduff area. At Carrie's graveside yesterday, Det Chief Insp Roy McComb repeated his appeal for the mother to come forward: "The investigation has to continue. Closure is just a telephone call away from Carrie's mum or anyone who knows her."
Floral tributes came from police, local people, councillors and the police ombudsman, Ms Nuala O'Loan, who oversaw the police DNA testing. A little white cuddly angel, donated by a woman who had tried for a baby for 22 years, was placed in Carrie's coffin and buried with her.
In his sermon, a Church of Ireland rector, the Rev John Auchmuty, pleaded with the baby's mother to come forward. "This morning we commend baby Carrie's mother to God's care and compassion. It must be a difficult day for her and we pray God will give her the love and care that she needs at this time."
Ms Robinson said the turn-out was a sign of how much the whole community had taken Carrie to their hearts. "I think we have all adopted Baby Carrie. We are her immediate family."