Two children dead in Stafford, relative arrested for murder

Two young children were found dead inside a house on Corporation Street in Stafford on the morning of Sunday, October 12, and a 43-year-old woman who is related to them has been arrested on suspicion of murder and detained under the Mental Health Act, police said. The children, a girl and a boy, were discovered unresponsive with injuries and were pronounced dead at the scene after emergency services were called at about 7.30 a.m.

Staffordshire Police identified the victims as Meraj Ul Zahra, aged two, and Abdul Momin Alfaateh, aged three. Officers said the woman, from the Stafford area, was arrested at the property on suspicion of murder and following assessment by medical professionals has been detained under the Mental Health Act. She remains in custody while inquiries continue.

Detective Inspector Kirsty Oldfield said investigators were working to establish the circumstances that led to the children’s deaths and appealed for the public not to speculate. "We are working hard to understand more about what happened leading up to these two children tragically losing their lives," she said. "We ask that people do not speculate at this stage as it is distressing for family and...