A house in Sheffield where seven people were arrested on suspicion of murdering a newborn girl was rented by a family who ‘abandoned’ the child, neighbors said today.
Police remain at the smart end mews property in the Wincobank area of the city with police tape draped over the house as forensic officers work inside.
A South Yorkshire Police A dog handler could also be seen searching nearby bins and gardens with a cadaver dog.
Detectives are continuing to question the seven arrested on suspicion of murder on Sunday after officers were called to the property shortly before 6am following reports of concerns for the baby’s safety.
When they attended, the baby was found at the scene and pronounced dead.
Today, neighbors said the two-storey, three-bedroom house was intended to house up to six people, but there were often at least 12 people in the property, from young children to middle-aged adults of both sexes.
A local resident said the house was rented by a Slovak family, including two teenage girls, a man of about 20 and a boy of about 11.
But she never saw a woman who looked pregnant.
On Monday, a police forensic team was able to enter the property as detectives continued to question seven people on suspicion of murder
The family moved into the house about eight months ago, with the neighbor saying it now resembled ‘Piccadilly Circus’ because of people coming and going.
They added that every member of the family had left the house by the time police arrived on Sunday morning, leaving the child’s tiny body inside for officers to find.
“There’s a lot of them in the house, they’re always coming in and out,” she said.
“The baby died at 10 p.m., a police officer told me. And the family all left after it happened.
‘The police took my camera footage, but I saw it. The eldest son and his girlfriend left around 4am on Sunday.
“Then the mother and about five others left shortly before 6am. And then the police came.’
The resident said she later saw the dead child, wrapped in blankets, being carried out of the building around 1 p.m.
“Everyone left the house and left the baby behind,” she added.
It is believed the smart property in the Wincobank area of Sheffield was rented by a Slovak family
Another neighbor says: ‘People were sometimes packed together in that house.
‘We sometimes saw ten to twelve people living and sleeping there. It’s just a small three-bedroom house, so I can’t imagine the sleeping arrangements.”
Another neighbor added: ‘I only knew the family to say ‘hello’ to. They are Slovak.
“I don’t know of any of them working, and they came and went all day and night, every day of the week.
‘It’s terrible what happened, that a poor girl died. It’s really traumatized by daughter.’
Chief Inspector Emma Knight, of South Yorkshire Police, said: ‘We are aware that news of this will be deeply concerning and I would like to reassure our local communities that we have a dedicated team of detectives and officers who are working hard to ensure that justice is secured for the baby girl at the center of this investigation.
‘In our investigation, seven people were arrested on suspicion of murder.
“They are all currently in police custody. We are in the process of determining the age of a number of detainees.’
