A MUM and dad were arrested on suspicion of murder before being bailed following the death of a baby girl.
Officers were called to Barnsley Hospital on May 16 following reports that a two-day-old baby had suffered ‘catastrophic injuries’, a South Yorkshire Police spokesperson confirmed.
The baby died on Monday at 2.50pm, aged four months, after life support was withdrawn.
A 31-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man, named locally as Aimee and Alex Jones of Dale Close, Athersley, were arrested on suspicion of murder before being bailed on Wednesday evening.
A post-mortem examination was carried out a day later and a cause of death was unascertained, pending further medical enquiries.
Detective Chief Inspector Phil Etheridge, the senior investigating officer, said: “The injuries suffered by this little girl when she was just two days old were so catastrophic that she could not recover and her life support was withdrawn after four months.
“Our thoughts are with those affected and our specialist officers are supporting them throughout this incredibly difficult time.
“We have a dedicated team of officers assigned to this investigation. We are working hard to establish the exact circumstances leading up to this child’s death.
“I know that the local community will be shocked and deeply saddened to hear of her death and it’s important that people feel able to talk about their concerns but I urge everyone to be mindful of what they post on social media, and not to speculate on what may have occurred.
“If you have information that may assist, it’s important that this is passed to the police to form part of the investigation.”
Anyone with concerns or information is asked to call police on 101 quoting incident number 207 of September 16.
