A woman who was around eight months pregnant has been stabbed to death in south London, the Metropolitan Police said.
A 37-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is in custody.
Police were called by London Ambulance Service at 3:30am on Saturday June 29 to reports of a woman in cardiac arrest inside an address in Thornton Heath, south London.
Officers attended along with paramedics and found the woman, aged 26, suffering from stab injuries. Despite the efforts of paramedics, the victim sadly died at the scene.
Her baby was delivered at the scene before being taken to hospital. The child remains in a critical condition.
Police said they were keeping an open mind as to the motive.
Detective chief inspector Mick Norman said: “This is a horrific incident in which a young mother has lost her life and her child is critically ill.
“Our sympathies go out to her devastated family; they are being supported by specially trained officers following this awful event, and I would ask that they are left alone at this time as they come to terms with the enormity of what has happened.”
He added that a large crime scene is in place, and is likely to be in place for some time.
“At the forefront of our enquiries is understanding what exactly has lead to these tragic circumstances, and we are doing everything we can to establish the facts,” he said.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan tweeted: “Violence against women is endemic in society and devastating murders in the home, like this one, show the scale of the problem we face.
“My prayers are with this innocent child, and with the mother it has so tragically lost. [Met Police] are investigating – please help if you can.”
The police have informed the woman’s next of kin.
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