A mother in London is facing murder charges after the death of her baby girl. Zahira Byjaouane is the primary suspect after her newborn baby allegedly fell out of a window. Details have not been given about what happened to cause the baby to tumble out of the window, but given her age, the odds of it being an accident seem extremely unlikely. Police stayed at the scene well into the night trying to gather evidence that may indicate the circumstances of the infant’s death. There’s no word yet if an autopsy has been performed or if there is any information on the cause of death.
The incident took place on a Saturday morning.
Around 7:30 a.m. on March 14, 2026, officers from Metropolitan Police were called to a home in Westminster after reports of a baby that had “fallen from a height” at a residential building, a news release shared.
The 18-day-old baby girl was taken to a hospital, where, sadly, she succumbed to her injuries. “Our thoughts today are with the baby’s family,” Detective Chief Inspector Alison Foxwell shared in the release.
Police quickly began investigating the girl’s death.
According to Metro Police, a 43-year-old woman was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder. She remains in police custody.
Police blocked off the street around the building soon after, The Standard reported. Most of Great Peter Street, which is off Horseferry Road, where the incident took place, was blocked off.
Forensics police were seen at the scene. One officer was wearing gloves and holding up an object to a window of a property near the blocked-off streets, the Daily Mail reported. According to reports, the police block lasted through the night.
The mother was identified as the main suspect in the newborn’s death.
Mother Zahira Byjaouane charged with murder of 18-day-old baby daughter who fell to death from property in Westminster appears in court:https://t.co/6wQ2sHwaXu
— JonAustinReporter (@JonAustinjourn1) March 16, 2026
On March 15, Metropolitan Police shared another news release about the incident, identifying the suspect as Zahira Byjaouane, noting she was the girl’s mother.
Byjaouane was charged with murder, the release noted. She was remanded in police custody ahead of an appearance at the Westminster Magistrates’ Court on March 16.
People paid tribute to the baby girl.
After the police cordon was lifted on the morning of March 15, people began leaving flowers in front of the Peabody Estate building, the BBC reported. In addition to the flowers, a small stuffed animal was also placed in memory of the newborn, who was taken to a major trauma center after the fall.
In the initial news release, Foxwell said the deaths of babies are “always an extremely tragic occurrence.”
“At this stage, we believe the incident occurred within a domestic context, but we are appealing for anybody with information to come forward,” she said.
Anyone in the London area who may have any information about Byjaouane or the incident is encouraged to call 101 and reference 1596/14MAR.
