Police confirm boy, 7, girl, 3 and 10-month-old baby found dead in Bristol house
Police have issued an update over the bodies of three children who were found at a home in Bristol with a woman arrested.
The woman, known locally only as Jasmine, is currently held in police custody at a hospital after police made the shocking discovery following a welfare call at about 12:40pm on Sunday. Three children - a boy aged seven, a three-year-old girl and a 10 month old boy died, police have now confirmed.
Chief Inspector Vicks Hayward-Melen, of Avon and Somerset Police, said that forensic post mortems would take place this week on the children to establish the cause of death. She continued that a "42-year-old woman was arrested and taken to hospital after injuries she sustained" but they "are not life threatening".
Speaking to press she stated: “I’d like to start by saying this is a terrible and deeply distressing tragedy in which three young children have lost their lives. Our thoughts are very much with the children’s loved ones who are going through an horrendous ordeal. We were first called by a member of the public who was concerned for the welfare of the occupants early on Sunday the 18 of February. Officers arrived at about 12.40am and found three children whose lives could not be saved.
“Forensic post-mortem examinations will now be carried out on the children to establish the cause of death and it’s important we don’t give further detail on this until the proper processes have been carried out. The post-mortem examinations are not likely to be completed until the middle to the end of this week at the earliest.
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Chief Inspector Vicks Hayward-Melen (Tom Wren / SWNS)“Formal identification has not yet taken place, but we believe the victims are a boy aged seven, a girl of three and a 10-month-old boy. Their next of kin have been informed and are being given all the help and support they need by specialist family liaison officers. A 42-year-old woman was arrested at the scene and taken to hospital due to injuries she’d sustained. Her condition is not life-threatening, and she remains in police custody at this time.
Three children were found dead at a property in Blaise Walk (PA)“Uniformed officers from the Neighbourhood Policing team will be in the area in the coming days to provide reassurance and support to the local community, so please speak to us if you have any concerns or worries. It’s important to stress we are treating this as an isolated incident and we don’t believe there to be any ongoing risk to the wider community.
“We’ve been humbled by the community response to this tragedy. At a time of great sadness and disbelief, we’ve seen spontaneous acts of care and support. Within hours of the incident occurring, a local church was opened up for people to gather and mourn. This is what being in a community is all about and we’d like to thank all those who continue to offer this important and selfless service.
A forensic officer at the scene (Bristol Live/BPM MEDIA)“The death of such young children is a great shock to the whole community and this incident has had a profound and deep impact on all of us in the police. We’ll be making sure all those involved in the response and the subsequent investigation are given any welfare support they may need.
“I know people will be eager to have answers, but the Major Crime Investigation Team are in the very early stages of what will be a highly sensitive, complex and thorough investigation, and it will take time to establish all the facts. We anticipate we’ll need to carry out further enquiries at the scene for the rest of the week and there will be some cordons in place while we do this."
There has been a large police presence in the area (Tom Wren / SWNS)Police are appealing to the public for information to help them with the investigation. Chief Inspector Hayward-Melen said: “If you have any information which could help, do please call 101 and give the call handler the reference 5224042788, or contact us through our website. As is usual in circumstances where there’s been prior police contact, we have notified the Independent Office for Police Conduct, and a mandatory formal referral will be made today. We’ll provide further updates when we can. Thank you.”
A 42-year-old Bristol taxi driver said he had last seen the mother and her three children two weeks ago. He said: “She was happy. Her kids were all happy.” The man said the family were part of the Sudanese community in Bristol. He added: “She is a very nice person. It is very sad.”
A woman has been arrested (PA)Jasmine's husband, like his wife, is believed to be Sudanese, according to a neighbour, but it is not known if he was in the property at the time. The street is in a quiet neighbourhood about four miles north-west of Bristol city centre, where police officers continue to be posted outside the semi-detached house.
Meanwhile, Sea Mills Community Playgroup stated that it would be closed today. A Facebook message on Sunday read: "Due to the tragic events in our community today, playgroup will be cancelled tomorrow morning. Our hearts go out to the family and their friends, neighbours, school friends and wider community." Sea Mills Primary School has put a notice on its website which says it will be closed until 1:30pm tomorrow. The notice says: "School will be closed on the morning of Monday 19th February and will open at 1:30pm."
Police were called to the scene at 12.40pm on Sunday (PA)Avon and Somerset Police said that the case was also being looked at by the Independent Office for Police Conduct due to "prior police contact". It stated: "As is usual in these circumstances, we have notified the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), due to prior police contact."
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And an IOPC spokesperson said: “We were notified yesterday afternoon about this tragic incident in Bristol by Avon and Somerset Police, who advised us that there had been prior police contact earlier this month. We have requested a paper referral with further information about the prior contact and once received, we will assess it to determine whether further action is required from us.”
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