Gardaí investigating the circumstances in which a baby girl was seriously injured, and has been undergoing treatment in hospital since mid-September, have arrested a man and woman for questioning.
The two people being questioned are in their 30s and were detained on Tuesday morning before being taken to Drogheda and Dundalk Garda stations, both in Co Louth. They were held overnight and were still being detained on Wednesday evening.
In reply to queries Garda Headquarters, Phoenix Park, Dublin, said the man and woman had been arrested “in relation to an incident which led to an infant being admitted” to Temple Street Hospital, Dublin, on September 13th.
Both were arrested under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, which means gardaí have 24 hours to question them at which point they must be released without charge or charged with an offence. However, that 24-hour can be interrupted with breaks for resting.
When the child was admitted to hospital with serious injuries a Garda investigation was immediately commenced and that inquiry has ben ongoing ever since. One line of inquiry from the outset was that that child, who remains in Temple St Hospital, did not sustain her injuries accidentally.
When the incident first came to light in September, gardaí confirmed the child was in a critical condition in hospital and that they were “investigating all the circumstances” which led to her hospitalisation. The child and family agency Tusla were also notified about the case in September.
