New evidence leads to second arrest of mother in suspicious 4-month-old baby's death

The mother of a four-month-old baby who died under suspicious circumstances in May 2021 was arrested for a second time on Monday morning, the police reported. The 24-year-old mother is suspected of manslaughter and withholding medical care.

New incriminating evidence against the mother emerged from the investigation, which led to the conclusion that the baby's death resulted from violence. "Among other things, the baby was found to have severe brain injuries and 26 (old and recent) rib fractures,” the police wrote.

The baby, born in January 2021, was brought to the hospital by his parents in a very critical condition three weeks before his death, showing serious physical injuries. The baby died on May 20 at the hospital.

The infant's parents were taken into custody on suspicion of manslaughter. After a month in pre-trial detention and awaiting expert reports, they were allowed to await the remainder of the case in freedom, though they remained suspects.

Over the past year, the investigation team, under the supervision of the Public Prosecution Service, conducted tactical investigations to gather details about the circumstances surrounding the baby’s death. This included a judicial autopsy by the Dutch Forensic Institute and various expert reports.

The mother was arrested on Monday following the investigation. 1Limburg reported that the police could not provide any information about the father.