Mum found dead in septic tank with daughters after 'sending husband to chemist'

A 32-year-old woman and her two daughters, aged six and eight, have been found dead in a septic tank near their home.

Their bodies were pulled from the tank by four fire crews and a diving team in Helenów Pierwszy, a small town in Konin County, west-central Poland. The woman's husband - and father of the two girls - reported them missing on Sunday at 10.18pm, telling police there were "disturbing signs" that they may have fallen in the tank, a spokesperson for the force told Wirtualna Polska. The woman was reportedly pronounced dead at the scene while the girls were rushed to hospital, where they were later confirmed dead by doctors.

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Prosecutor Aleksandra Marańda of the Konin District Prosecutor’s Office confirmed a murder investigation is underway. "There is a high probability that a crime took place," she told TVN24. "At this stage of the investigation, we are referring to Article 148, paragraph 3 of the Penal Code, which concerns a crime where the perpetrator kills more than one person."

Sources close to the investigation reportedly told Gazeta Wyborcza that the woman’s throat had been cut and claimed that evidence suggested she may have drowned her daughters before taking her own life. She had been receiving psychiatric treatment, and a suicide note was found in the house, the sources claimed. These details have not been confirmed by police.

Sylwia Lewandowska, spokesperson for the District Prosecutor's Office in Konin, cautioned against drawing conclusions. "These are just speculations," she told Fakt. "The situation is very tragic, and it is still the early stage of the investigation. We cannot comment on any conclusions out of respect for the victims’ close family."

A murder investigation has been launched by the Konin prosecutor’s office, with autopsies and toxicology tests scheduled for Thursday.

"I can't believe what happened," one neighbour told Wirtualna Polska. "I heard that this woman's husband went to the pharmacy to get some medicine because she sent him. And when he came back, everything was already there... The tragedy was over, you could say."

Local official Andżelika Kamińska added: "Everyone in our village is in shock and great sadness."

The circumstances of the woman and the two children's deaths remain under investigation.

For mental health support, contact the Samaritans on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.