Mother arrested for death of daughter, who fell from balcony in 2015

The mother of an eight-year-old girl who died after falling from a 10th floor balcony in 2015 has been arrested on suspicion of murder, the public prosecution department said on Tuesday.

Sharleyne Remouchamps fell from the balcony at the apartment in Heerenveen where her mother lived on the night of June 7.

The mother, now aged 37, was arrested at the time because she was behaving suspiciously but after three days the public prosecution department said it was impossible to prove if the girl fell, jumped or was thrown to the ground.

‘New evidence’ however, shows that the mother was responsible for the girl’s death, the public prosecutor said, without giving further details. The new facts were turned up in a second, court ordered investigation after the girl’s father took legal action to force a new probe.

Sharleyne’s parents separated in 2011 and her mother was under social service supervision because of her drink problem, as well as allegations of neglect and domestic violence.

Social work inspectors said after the girl’s death that too much attention had been focused on the parents and not enough on the needs of the child.