Detectives investigating the tragic death of a baby in Hapton, Lancashire have charged a woman with his murder. The incident unfolded on March 1 last year when emergency services responded to reports of a nine-and-a-half-month-old baby boy suffering a medical episode at an address in the village.
Despite immediate medical attention and subsequent treatment at the hospital, the child sadly passed away on March 5. The family of the baby continues to receive support from specially trained officers, and our condolences go out to them during this difficult time.
In March, a 60-year-old woman from Haslingden and a 78-year-old man from Burnley were initially arrested on suspicion of Section 18 Assault. Following further investigations, the pair were subsequently arrested on suspicion of murder.
However, after consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, the 78-year-old man has been released without charge. The focus of the investigation has now led to charging the woman, identified as Karen Foster, aged 61 and with no fixed address, with the baby’s murder. Foster is scheduled to appear before Blackburn Magistrates’ Court today, July 5.
Additionally, Foster faces a separate charge of a Section 47 assault on a one-year-old girl in Hapton, which occurred on March 22, 2019. It is important to note that Foster is not related to either of the two victims, and the two children are not related to each other.
