Police locate mother and baby safe following discovery of human placenta in Southampton

The police received reports of the discovery of a human placenta in the Holly Brook park area, Southampton in June of last year. The discovery sparked a full investigation to establish whether a crime had been committed and whether the mother and baby were harmed as a result.

 Following months of investigation, which has included reviewing hundreds of hours of CCTV footage, house to house enquiries, speaking to witnesses in the area and liaising with partnership agencies, the police have confirmed the individuals involved and that there is no criminal investigation into what has taken place. 

 Southampton Chief Inspector Marcus Kennedy said: “We are delighted that this is the conclusion of this case, which we all hoped it would be, following months of work to locate those involved and ensure that they were safe and well.

 “We as police had a duty to investigate the discovery, which is a highly unusual occurrence for the area. We had to consider the very real possibility that the mother and baby involved had potentially come to harm, and we needed to do everything we could to ensure that this wasn’t the case. If it had been the case, it was vital that we offered the appropriate support and help, as well as bringing anyone who may have caused them harm, to justice.

 “We have established that the family involved have done nothing wrong, and there is to be no criminal investigation now that they have been located. We have visited and spoken with many members of the community and undertaken an extensive number of enquiries throughout the past several months and would like to thank members of the public, as well as the many community groups and partnership agencies in the city who assisted us. We thank you all, as well as the wider public, for your support and understanding throughout the course of our investigation." 

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