An 18-day-old baby girl suffered a fatal head injury after being allegedly thrown out of a window by her mother in Central London, a court has heard. The infant, identified as Mariam, plunged from a sash window in her family's third-floor flat located in the Westminster area on a Saturday morning.
Details of the Tragic Incident
Prosecutor Philip McGhee outlined the facts during a hearing, stating that the baby's father called emergency services at 7:30 a.m. to report that a child had fallen from a window. London Ambulance Service and police responded within minutes, finding baby Mariam lying on a concrete surface between a block of flats on Great Peter Street and a high metal railing.
Mariam was transported to the hospital in critical condition, having fallen approximately 10 meters, or 32 feet, from the upstairs window. She tragically died at 9 a.m. due to a skull fracture sustained in the fall.
Legal Proceedings and Arrest
The mother, Zahira Byjaouane, aged 43, was scheduled to appear at the Old Bailey on Wednesday but was unable to attend the hearing. She has been charged with murder after initially being arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
Police entered the flat and discovered Byjaouane sitting on a bed. The baby's father was present in the home at the time of the incident, reportedly in the kitchen preparing baby formula when the alleged act occurred. He rushed outside in an attempt to reach Mariam before returning inside to call emergency services.
Court Timeline and Remand
Judge Mark Lucraft KC has set a timetable for the case, with a plea hearing scheduled for June 3 and a provisional 10-day trial beginning on February 15, 2027. The judge has remanded the defendant into custody as the legal process moves forward.
Flowers and a toy animal were left near the Peabody Estate building on Horseferry Road in Central London, where the tragic event took place, as the community mourns the loss of baby Mariam.
