A 47-year-old woman has been charged with the murder of a three-year-old girl in Leeds.
Emergency services were called to Austhorpe Court in Leeds on Wednesday 30 July after a report of concern for the safety of a young child. Her body was found in the property alongside a woman who was taken to hospital for treatment and later arrested on suspicion of murder.
Pippa McGrath, 47, has now been charged with the murder of the girl, West Yorkshire Police said. She remains in police custody and will appear at Leeds Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
In a statement, the force said: “Detectives investigating the death of a three-year-old girl in Leeds have charged a woman with her murder.
“Pippa McGrath, aged 47, of Austhorpe Court, Leeds, has been detained in custody to appear before the morning session of Leeds Magistrate’s Court today (Monday 4 August). The 47-year-old was arrested after officers attended at Austhorpe Court on 30 July following a call of concern for the safety of a young child.
“Enquiries into the incident remain ongoing by the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team.”
Police previously warned against “speculation” and said they were treating the death as an “isolated incident”.
Last week, Detective Chief Inspector Stacey Atkinson, of West Yorkshire Police’s Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, said: “Sadly when emergency services attended at an address on Austhorpe Court, Leeds, yesterday the body of a 3-year-old girl was found inside.
“A woman at the address was taken to hospital for urgent medical attention and remains there today in a stable condition. She has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
"We are treating this as an isolated incident and are not seeking anyone else in connection with it.
“I understand that such a tragic incident as this will cause shockwaves in the local community and that there will be speculation about what has happened. I would ask people to please let us investigate and if you do have any information that you think could assist our enquiries to get in contact with the investigation team.”
