THE mother of a toddler found dead at a farmhouse in Co. Antrim on Monday is now suspected of fatally stabbing the child.
The woman, believed to be in her 30s, is in police custody at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast where she is being looked after by medical staff, Belfast Live reports.
Another child, who is just a year old, is currently being treated for serious stab wounds and is reportedly in a critical condition.
Police were called and arrived at the scene in Magheramorne near Larne shortly after 10am on Monday morning.
They were responding to a 999 call believed to have been made by the woman's husband.
The couple, who have four children, are understood to have moved in to the property around seven months ago.
Their two oldest children were at school at the time of the incident, while the husband was reportedly at work.
A PSNI spokesman said: "Police can confirm an investigation has commenced into the circumstances surrounding the death of a young child in the Larne area today.
"A woman in her 30s and a baby are currently receiving hospital treatment for injuries.
"The investigation is at an early stage and police are currently not looking for anyone else in connection with the death."
Forensic teams are now assessing the property.
According to the Irish Mirror, a source said the mother was a nurse who had a "very caring nature".
"We didn’t know them that well yet. We were all on friendly terms and would have waved to each other in the road.
"They wanted a safe space for the children to grow up, nowhere near a main road, somewhere where they could play freely and enjoy the freedom of a rural childhood. It is hard to fathom why and how this could have happened.
"The mum is a nurse, a lovely young woman with a very caring nature.
"We just can’t take in that her two youngest children could suffer an attack like this. How could it be?
"We are hoping like everyone else that the baby makes it through and recovers.
"Our thoughts are with everyone, the two older children, their father and all of their loved ones.
"Our thoughts are with their mum too and our hope is for healing but for now we just can’t understand how something like this can happen."
