Woman Charged with Murder of Newborn in London Fall

A 43-year-old woman has been charged with the murder of her 18-day-old daughter after the infant fell from a residential building in central London on Saturday morning. Zahira Byjaouane, of Horseferry Road in Westminster, appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on Monday, where her case was committed to the higher court due to the severity of the allegations.

Police were called to the Peabody Estate on Horseferry Road around 9 a.m. on March 14 following reports of a baby falling from a height. Emergency services, including the London Ambulance Service, attended the scene and treated the infant before transferring her to a major trauma center. The baby girl was pronounced dead shortly after arrival at the hospital. Officers from the Metropolitan Police's Specialist Crime Command are leading the investigation, which they have described as occurring within a domestic context.

Forensic teams were observed at the site throughout the day, including measurements taken from an open window in a third-floor flat within the estate. A police cordon was established, sealing off parts of nearby Great Peter Street, and was lifted by Sunday morning. Witnesses reported seeing officers in...