Baby and toddler killed at house

[Niels Bohr 72]

A three-month-old baby and his brother, aged two, have been found stabbed to death at a property in Manchester.

Delayno and Romario Mullings-Sewell were discovered in Cheetham Hill on Wednesday evening after concerns were raised with police.

Their 21-year-old mother was held on suspicion of murder and has now been sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

Police visited the house a few hours before finding the children, who were known to Manchester social services.

The BBC's Chris Buckler said police were called at about 1320 GMT by a GP who raised concerns for the family's welfare after being visited by the mother.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officers arrived at the house on Kilmington Drive at about 1450 GMT after being given five separate addresses for her, he added.

No-one was at the address so officers searched the nearby area and made significant further efforts to trace the residents but were unable to do so, a police spokesman said.

Speaking on Thursday, Det Supt Shaun Donnellan said police returned to the property later at about 1745 GMT and forced their way in and found the bodies.

He said both boys had been stabbed once in the abdomen. Their mother was arrested a short time later around the corner from the house.

"I'd ask you all to remember that this is a tragedy. There are two children dead who would appear to be victims of a fatal attack," he said.

"There is a mother in custody who has been detained under the mental health act."

Det Supt Shaun Donnellan talks to reporters about the deaths

The boys' family paid tribute to the "beautiful, innocent" boys in a statement released through Greater Manchester Police.

They said: "We, as a family, are struggling to come to terms with the tragic events of yesterday afternoon and we cannot even begin to understand what happened.

"We hope that wherever the boys have gone to, they are at peace."

Their father, who lived at a different address, is being given counselling, as are the officers who found the bodies.

Later on Thursday, Manchester City Council confirmed the family were known to social services but were not in their care.

Pauline Newman, Director of Children's Services, said: "This is an appalling tragedy and we offer our sincere condolences to the family and family friends of these two young children.

"Children's Social Care were not currently involved with the family, however in recent months the family were in receipt of community support services including nursery and childminding provision, whilst mother was attending higher education classes.

"I am currently involved with my senior staff team in urgently considering the nature, extent, and appropriateness of Children's Services' involvement with the family."

Forensic tests

Mrs Newman said because the family were known to them there would now be a multi-agency serious case review, chaired independently.

Melissa Bell, who knew the family, laid flowers at their home on Thursday to pay her respects.

She said: "They were just gorgeous, beautiful. The three-month-old kid, he was just starting to get a personality... he was just gorgeous.

"They weren't rowdy or nasty children. He [the older brother] was just really well behaved."

Forensic officers are at the house carrying out tests.

Post-mortem examinations are being carried out later.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is assessing the police response to the phone calls they received before the boys were killed.

An IPCC spokesman said: "They [police] went round to the property at about 2.50pm yesterday. They searched the area because a neighbour said she saw the woman walking away with her children.

"The next call they got was that the children were dead."

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_n...ter/7726077.stm

[Ban Hammer 14,569]

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Oh my

[HAL 9000 96]

RIP little guys

Hope they catch the perp(s) soon.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

RIP little guys

Hope they catch the perp(s) soon.

It was the "mother". But I am sure she did not smoke.

[HAL 9000 96]

Yeah just caught that in the story. Poor kids.

[JayJay 4]

Holy #######...

I'd have done anything to make my Josie survive after birth... Amazing how someone with a living breathing baby can go and murder them three months later... I bet it's probably post partum psychosis - gotta be - I can't imagine anyone sane doing that.

Poor little babies...I am so sad for them. That was an awful way to die.

(F)

[LoriLawless 1]

[Peikko 1,575]

Mental health issues can cause all kinds of horrible tragedies as in this instance, very, very sad for everyone involved.

[Mononoke28 137]

I don't know where people get the guts to kill innocent children. They're so little and helpless. Gut wrenching.

Diana

[Nagishkaw 510]

I don't know where people get the guts to kill innocent children. They're so little and helpless. Gut wrenching.

Diana

Satan.

[Peikko 1,575]

Satan? Mental illness is the product of the devil?

I don't know where people get the guts to kill innocent children. They're so little and helpless. Gut wrenching.

Diana

It's nothing to do with 'courage' and everything to do with a distored reality if you are mentally ill.

[Mononoke28 137]

That's true, remember that Houston gal who killed all 5 children? But still, I can't even comprehend the theory since I can't even think about it. Postpartum is beatch!

Diana

[Peikko 1,575]

We can't imagine the situation because we are not suffering from a mental disturbance. We shouldn't be able to imagine it, it should appear to us as utterly horrific and it does. The sad things is that no one spotted any signs that might have prevented this from happening. If the woman wasn't permanantly insane before, she likely will be now. Very tragic.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

We can't imagine the situation because we are not suffering from a mental disturbance. We shouldn't be able to imagine it, it should appear to us as utterly horrific and it does. The sad things is that no one spotted any signs that might have prevented this from happening. If the woman wasn't permanantly insane before, she likely will be now. Very tragic.

Indeed.