A post-mortem examination on a six-month-old British baby, whose Australian nanny is in custody accused of causing her grievous bodily harm, has failed to determine the cause of death, police said yesterday.
Caroline Jongen was pronounced dead on Tuesday night after brain stem tests at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Her life-support machine was switched off in the presence of her parents, investment company director Mr Marcel Jongen (41) and his wife, Muriel, from Cricklewood, north London.
Caroline had been in a coma after an incident at the family home on Friday. The live-in nanny, Ms Louise Nicole Sullivan (26), was remanded in custody on Monday accused of causing grievous bodily harm to the baby.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said the cause of death was undetermined after a post-mortem in London yesterday. "Further tests will now be carried out. We are not prepared to discuss what these tests may be," he said.
Ms Sullivan is to appear in court again on Monday.
The death has already stirred echoes of last year's Louise Woodward scandal in the US.
In a case that made headlines around the world, British au pair Louise Woodward went on trial in Boston over the death of eight-month-old Matthew Eappen.
Woodward was convicted of second-degree murder last November and released amid controversy, after serving 279 days, when the judge reduced the verdict to manslaughter. That decision is now in the process of appeal in Boston.
Ms Sullivan's mother was reported to be en route from Australia yesterday.
Press reports said the Jongens, a Dutch-French couple, left their child in the care of Ms Sullivan on April 17th when they went to work shortly after 7 a.m.
Ambulances responded to a call at their north London home four and a half hours later.
Ms Sullivan reportedly had five years' experience as a nanny, but the Worldwide Nanny Register, which wants a recognised standard in the unregulated child-care market, said it was not clear if she had the qualifications and experience to look after such a young baby.
"Every parent must now be living in fear for the safety of their children when faced with leaving them in the care of others," the Register said in a statement.