Gardaí say two-year-old found dead in Shankill was stabbed

Gardaí were expected to launch a murder inquiry after the death of a two-year-old boy in south Dublin.

The dead boy, Hassan Khan, had been the subject of a nationwide safety alert and Garda search when the authorities became concerned for his safety in August.

That incident ended peacefully after the child was found safe and well with his father, 61-year-old Mohamed Saleem Khan, less than an hour after the Child Rescue Ireland alert was issued by gardaí.

After news of Hassan’s death emerged, gardaí could not find his father to break the news to him, but they eventually contacted him late last night.

A woman known to Mr Khan and Hassan was in Garda custody last night. She was being questioned under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act at Dún Laoghaire Garda station.

Found in apartment

The child's body was found in a top floor apartment where he lived with his mother, Hazel Waters, at the Ridge Hall complex on the Shanganagh Road, near Ballybrack, after the alarm was raised just before 2pm yesterday.

Ms Waters, a convert to Islam, and Mr Khan had separated and Hassan was living with his mother, who is originally from Dalkey, south Dublin.

The woman in custody last night was arrested at the apartment in Ballybrack at the time the remains were found. She had been at the property earlier in the day and gardaí believe she fatally stabbed Hassan before leaving for a period.

She was seen in the local area over a number of hours, with some local people claiming she looked distressed.

Gardaí are working on the theory that the boy was dead for several hours before his body was discovered.

Hassan was pronounced dead by a doctor called to the scene by gardaí.

Preliminary examination

The body was then left at the scene, where it underwent a preliminary examination by Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis yesterday evening, before being removed for a full post mortem.

That is expected to show Hassan was stabbed in the upper body. Gardaí were examining a number of implements found at the apartment, including a pair of scissors.