A 54-year-old Polish man and his 20-year-old daughter were arrested after it was discovered that the pair had had an incestual relationship and had been murdering the three babies produced by their criminal relationship, according to Polish media reports from Saturday.
The father has also been charged with raping a second daughter, forcing incestual relations.
The murdered babies
The bodies of three newborn babies in the Czerniki commune led to the arrest, according to the reports. The babies will be undergoing an autopsy later on Sunday.
Two of the babies’ bodies had been discovered only a few days before the arrest, on September 15, with a third being discovered shortly after by officers searching a house in the commune.
Polish media reported that one of the babies was due to be born 3 weeks prior to the body’s discovery.
“Yesterday, during a search of the facility, the bodies of two newborns buried in the basement were discovered. A tracking dog and a 3D scanner were involved in the search,” said Mariusz Duszyński from the District Prosecutor's Office in Gdańsk, according to media reports. “On Saturday morning, the police continued their work and the body of the third newborn was found. Activities are still ongoing on the property.”
The 20-year-old daughter is believed to have mothered at least two of the babies.
Officials commenting on the case
“The prosecutor announced the decision to present charges against the woman and she is being interrogated,” added Duszyński. “The woman was charged with two counts of murder and a charge of incest. The hearing of witnesses was also ordered.”
“Police officers are working at the scene of the discovery of the bodies of newborns, which were found in the basement of one of the houses in the town of Czerniki,” said Kom. Karina Kamińska, press secretary of the Provincial Police Commander in Gdańsk. ”Two bodies were secured by the prosecutor's decision for autopsy examinations.”
“On-site procedural activities are performed by police officers from the Investigation Department of the Provincial Police Headquarters in Gdańsk and the District Police Headquarters in Kościerzyna.
“Procedural activities are performed under the supervision of the prosecutor. In addition, a dog handler with a body search dog, as well as police officers from the MWP forensic laboratory in Gdańsk, worked at the scene of the incident, using modern equipment to reveal and secure traces that will help explain the circumstances and course of this crime.”