Parents guilty of “allowing or causing” death of 4-week-old baby

A mother and father have been found guilty of “allowing or causing” the death of their week-old baby girl Eva Sanders.

Clare Sanders, 43, and Tomas Vaitkevicius, 45, from Mitcham, were convicted at the Old Bailey on Friday, November 13.

Police were called by London Ambulance Service at 2.37 am on September 1, 2017, to an address in Streatham Road, Mitcham CR4 following reports of a one-month-old girl who was unresponsive.

Tiny Eva was taken to hospital where she was placed on life support, but was pronounced dead just before 7pm on September 2, 2017.

The death was initially treated as unexplained, with the Child Abuse Investigation Team (CAIT) leading the investigation.

Eva was found to have suffered non-accidental injuries to her head, ribs and an eye.

Medical evidence showed that head and rib injuries were inflicted on more than one occasion during Eva’s short life.

An investigation was launched by murder detectives led by Detective Inspector Will White, and following inquiries, parents Sanders and Vaitkevicius were arrested on suspicion of murder on September 29, 2017.

On April 3, 2018, they were later charged with murder, and with causing or allowing the death of their child.

Detective Inspector Will White, of Specialist Crime South, said: “This is a tragic case where baby Eva died from extensive injuries at just 28 days old. Medical evidence in the case was emphatic in determining that the injuries sustained were non-accidental.

“Neither parent offered any explanation to account for Eva’s injuries, and today they have been found guilty of causing or allowing Eva’s death. This is a tragic loss of an innocent life at the hands of those who were meant to love and care for her.’’

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