News / News Wire
Grieving family speak as mum and baby found
The family of the woman and baby girl whose bodies were found in the Avon Gorge have said the tragic pair were “now at peace”.
A baby’s body was found in the Avon Gorge earlier today, close to where the body of missing mum Charlotte Bevan was also discovered on Wednesday night.
Although formal identification has not yet taken place, police say they are “confident” this is the body of five-day-old Zaani Tiana Bevan Malbrouck.
is needed now More than ever
The body of Zaani’s mother Charlotte Bevan was formally identified earlier today having been found at the same site.
In a statement released this afternoon, Charlotte’s mother Rachel Fortune thanked all those involved in the search for her daughter and granddaughter.
“My beautiful daughter and granddaughter are now at peace,” she said. “The family would like to thank all the friends of Pascal, Charlotte and Zaani, some of whom we have only met today.
“We would also like to say thank you for all the messages from everyone.
“We wish to thank all the hospital staff at St Michael’s and the mental healthcare team, past and present.
“The response and support from the public has been overwhelming and we would like to thank you all.
“We would also like to give our thanks to Avon and Somerset police and the volunteers from Avon Search and Rescue.
“We thank the press for their help and ask that we now be left in peace to grieve.”
Charlotte went missing from the maternity unit of St Michael’s Hospital with her baby on Tuesday evening.
Despite a big police hunt overnight and throughout Wednesday, there was no sign of the 30-year-old.
She did not have any shoes on and was thought to be wearing hospital slippers when she left with her baby into the freezing winter night. She also did not have a coat and Zaani was only wrapped in blankets.
The mother’s body was found after a member of the public, walking nearby, spotted the hospital slippers on the gorge.
Police described Ms Bevan as a “good mother” who was making “great progress” in hospital.
A spokesman for University Hospitals Bristol, which runs St Michael’s Hospital, said Ms Bevan discharged herself for “reasons unknown” and there had been no signs she was planning to leave.
“Charlotte and her baby were seen by staff at 20:30. When staff went to check on her at 21:05 they found Charlotte and her baby missing and immediately sounded the alarm,” he said.
“We will be conducting a thorough review of the care Charlotte and her baby received to see if there was anything we could have done to prevent this tragic and unexplained death.”
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
