A newborn baby girl found dead at a Sheffield house was stabbed to death, police have revealed, as detectives continue to question five people over her murder.
The infant was discovered at a property in Holywell Heights, Wincobank, after South Yorkshire Police received a 999 call at 5.58am on Sunday reporting concerns for the safety of a baby.
A forensic post-mortem examination has since established that the child died from stab wounds.
Seven people, aged between 15 and 38, were arrested on suspicion of murder following the discovery.
Two of those arrested, aged 26 and 37, have since been released on bail, while detectives obtained a warrant allowing them to keep the other five suspects in custody for longer.
The grim discovery shocked the neighbourhood, where residents described the three-bedroom property as regularly being occupied by a large number of people.
One neighbour said the house had been rented by a Slovakian family who moved in around eight months ago.
She claimed there could sometimes be as many as 12 people inside the relatively small home, including children and adults.
A police forensics team could be seen entering the property on Monday as detectives continued to question seven people on suspicion of murder
It is believed the smart property in the Wincobank area of Sheffield was being rented by a Slovakian family
The neighbour said she had never noticed a woman who appeared to be pregnant living at the address.
She also claimed the occupants had left the property before officers arrived on Sunday morning.
‘There are loads of them in the house, they are always in and out,’ she said.
‘The baby died at 10pm, a policeman told me. And the family were all leaving after it happened.
‘Police have taken my CCTV, but I have seen it. The eldest son and his girlfriend left about 4am on the Sunday.
‘Then the mum and about five others left shortly before 6am. And then the police arrived.’
The resident said she later witnessed officers carrying the infant from the house, wrapped in blankets, at around 1pm.
‘Every person has left the house, abandoning the baby,’ she added.
Another neighbour said the number of people staying at the address had appeared unusually high.
‘People were crammed in that house at times. We have seen ten or 12 people living and sleeping there at times. It is just a smallish three- bedroom house, so I can’t imagine the sleeping arrangements.’
Two of those arrested, aged 26 and 37, have since been released on bail, while detectives obtained a warrant allowing them to keep the other five suspects in custody for longer
Police continue to guard a house in Wincobank, Sheffield, following the death of a baby girl
A further resident said she knew the family only casually and described them as Slovakian.
‘I only knew the family to say “hello” to. They are Slovakian.
‘I’m not aware of any of them working, and they would come and go all through the day and night, every day of the week.’It is dreadful what has happened, that a poor little girl has died. It has really traumatised by daughter.’
Police remained at the property as forensic officers examined the scene, with cordons put in place around the smart end-mews home.
A South Yorkshire Police dog handler was also seen searching surrounding gardens and bins with a cadaver dog.
Detectives are now working to establish exactly what happened to the baby and who was responsible for her death.
Detective Chief Inspector Tom Woodward said: ‘We recognise this is deeply distressing for those who would have loved to have a chance to love this baby girl, for the emergency services who responded and for the community who will inevitably be shocked by this incident.
‘Everyone involved in responding to this tragedy – from the first officers and paramedics on the scene to the detectives now leading the investigation – has felt the profound impact of this investigation.
‘Our commitment to this little girl is unwavering. We will confront every difficult and distressing challenge and pursue every line of inquiry with determination and care to secure justice for her.
‘We know the local community will hold her in their thoughts and support us as we work through this complex investigation.’
Detective Chief Inspector Emma Knight, of South Yorkshire Police, previously urged residents not to speculate while officers continued their work.
She said: ‘We are aware news of this will be deeply concerning and I want to reassure our local communities that we have a dedicated team of detectives and officers hard at work to ensure justice is secured for the baby girl at the heart of this investigation.
‘As part of our investigation seven people have been arrested on suspicion of murder.
‘All of them remain in police custody at this time. We are working to determine the ages of some of those arrested.’
Police have appealed for anyone with information that could assist the investigation to come forward.
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