Sussex Police admits contact with mother of dead children
Sussex Police has said it had contact with the mother charged with murdering her two children, prior to their deaths.
Sussex Police has said it had contact with the mother charged with murdering her two children, prior to their deaths.
Fiona Donnison, 43, is believed to be responsible for the deaths of her two children Harry, aged three, and Elise, aged two .
Their bodies were found in holdalls in Mrs Donnisons car on January 27. Initial examinations show signs of asphyxiation and the children are believed to have been dead for less than 24 hours before police uncovered them.
Detectives from Sussex Polices major crime branch are awaiting the results of toxicology tests in the coming days before their cause of death can be confirmed.
Mrs Donnison was admitted to hospital for treatment of self-inflicted injuries but was released last Friday, January 29, and is now remanded in custody charged with two counts of murder.
She will appear at a preliminary hearing at Lewes Crown Court on February 12.
Sussex Police has not given details of its prior contact with Mrs Donnison or her husband Paul.
The force has now voluntarily referred the matter to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).
Sussex Police had last week commenced a full review of our limited contact with the family prior to January 27 and that review is ongoing. At present, no issues of concern have been identified, but to emphasise the objectivity and transparency of the actions being taken, this aspect of the overall investigation has today been voluntarily referred to the IPCC, the force stated.