Story By: James King, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash

French cops have arrested a 36-year-old man and his 34-year-old partner for suspected rape resulting in the death of their six-week-old daughter.

The shocking incident happened in the sleepy village of La Chapelle-Reanville in the department of Eure in the Normandy region with the arrests announced today (23 December).

The prosecutor’s office in Evreux confirmed the couple had been indicted and deposed.

Evreux’s prosecutor Dominique Puechmaille said that “according to the first elements of the investigation, [the baby] suffered physical and sexual violence”.

During the questioning of the parents, who have two other children aged 2 and 3, they initially told investigators that the girl had fallen. But medical evidence revealed they had been lying and today (WED) they acknowledged that there was more to the story, but denied sexual abuse.

The French ambulance service had been called to attend the baby at the couple’s home on Sunday night. There were living in a caravan and when they arrived they found that the one-and-a-half-month-old girl was in cardiac arrest.

A police spokesman said: “The Samu found bruises on the baby’s legs and a significant tear in the anus, adding that there was no history of violence on the couple’s other two children.”

The investigation was referred to the Rouen JPS and the Vernon police station. The two suspects reportedly did not have a criminal record.

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