On the night of Christmas Eve last year, the girl, who lives in another municipality, came to the emergency room in Lund. She had ingested caustic vinegar at the family’s home, which also has several children.
The girl was described as dying, had heart and liver failure and was in a generally very poor condition. She started preschool last fall, but it is unclear how much she has attended.
“She was neglected, malnourished and had extensive injuries when she arrived at the hospital last Christmas. She couldn’t have been in that condition in preschool. Then they had made reports of concern, says Ingegerd Jigin, chamber prosecutor and head of the preliminary investigation.
The parents are now in custody on probable cause, suspected of extremely serious assault. They are believed to have poisoned the girl – who will be sentenced for life.
In February and March, the suspicions against the parents – who deny any crime – have strengthened and grown, according to the newspapers.
In parallel, a social service case is also ongoing. All children in the family are now taken care of.
At the same time, the seven-year-old girl seems to be the only child in the family who has been exposed.
— We think a lot about why that is. We have no evidence that the siblings have been exposed to anything criminal, says prosecutor Ingegerd Jigin.