The buried bodies of two babies were found near Varaždin, in Croatia, in the woods from the family house.
It is suspected that the children died due to gross neglect, and the parents were arrested, reports HRT. The cause of death will be determined by an autopsy.
The third child was handed over to social services.
The Varaždin police confirmed that they are conducting a criminal investigation in cooperation with the prosecution. A criminal complaint will probably be filed against the parents for the crime of violating the rights of the child, writes HRT.
"Locals say that the parents were members of some sect or religious community, that is why they lived in seclusion and isolation. The father is allegedly from Split, the mother from Zagreb," the Croatian public service reports.
The Minister of Internal Affairs, Davor Božinović, said that the investigations carried out revealed the suspicion that due to gross neglect in the upbringing of three children, the death of two children occurred.
"We are deeply shocked and horrified by today's investigation carried out by police officers of three police administrations, Varaždin PU, Zagreb PU and Split-Dalmatia PU in coordination with the police directorate. They acted on the basis of knowledge about possible neglect and abuse of children in the community of unmarried spouses, 38 and 34 years old, who live in the area of Varaždin County".
He says the children were probably about a year old, after which the parents buried their bodies on the family property. "Based on the order of the competent court, an exhumation was carried out today and the bodies of two children were found. The cause of death will be determined by an autopsy," added Božinović.
He said that the births were "obviously carried out independently at home" and that the children were not entered in the registers, so there was no knowledge of their existence at all.
The mayor of the municipality of Ljubešćica Nenad Horvatic told HRT that the third, oldest child was found malnourished and neglected, which was noticed by "competent services, after which some actions were taken". He told the locals that it was not a serial murder.
"The exhumation of the body itself took quite a while. I think the police had concrete information. Two people were detained. They don't have the same surnames, so I don't think they were married. What happened after the birth will be determined by the police," Horvatic said.
"Former water polo player, who joined a sect, JMB considers 'the mark of the beast'"
The man from Split, who was arrested together with his unmarried wife on Tuesday afternoon on suspicion of infanticide, was, according to the testimonies of several people from Split who know him, actively engaged in water polo until a few years ago, and was also a successful singer in a relatively well-known Split band. According to Slobodna Dalmacija, he actively played water polo ten years ago.
Slobodna Dalmacija reports, referring to the information of the interlocutor, that the man from Split "completely 'turned around' a few years ago by becoming a member of a religious sect". There he also met his partner, whom he married, "according to the rite prescribed by the sect they belong to".
"He completely alienated himself from all social and legal norms, convincing himself that he didn't need any state or any rules. And one of the proofs of his convictions was the fact that he considered JMB the 'mark of the beast,'" says one of the interlocutors for Free Dalmatia.
"With his unmarried wife, who was a professor of music, he decided to go live in the wilderness, in complete isolation," he adds.
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