Woman and man, both 23, charged with concealing baby’s birth before disposing of child’s body
A WOMAN and a man have been accused of hiding the birth of a baby before disposing of its body.
Elliot Benham and Sophie Harvey, both 23, have been jointly charged with a number of offences.
These include procuring a poison or noxious substance to cause a miscarriage, concealing the birth of a child and perverting the course of justice by disposing of the body of a baby.
Harvey has also been charged with procuring her own miscarriage by poison or use of an instrument, contrary to Section 58 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.
The offences are said to have taken place between September 1, 2018 and December 1, 2018.
Gloucestershire Constabulary launched a murder investigation, searching two houses – in Swindon and Cirencester – for evidence in September 2020.
Both properties which were forensically examined belonged to the co-accused
Benham of Wingfield in Kingsdown, Swindon, and Harvey, of St Mary’s Road in Cirencester, have been released on bail and are due to attend Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court on January 5.
The charges were authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service following an investigation by the Constabulary’s Major Crime Investigation Team.
