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Police wait to question children

Jason Bennetto Crime Correspondent
Tuesday 07 April 1998 18:02 EDT
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POLICE are to delay interviewing a teenager and toddler about the suspicious death of a three-year-old boy found face down in a puddle, because of fears that the children's evidence could be tainted by repeated questioning.

Detectives intend to question a 15-year-old girl, who has learning difficulties, and another three-year-old boy, in a few days time.

This follows the death of Louis Wedge, whose body was found on Saturday next to a railway track three miles from his home in Maltby, South Yorkshire. Results from a post mortem are not expected until tomorrow, but police believe he may have drowned in the puddle. Louis was last seen with the teenage girl and three-year-old boy, who were later found looking muddy and dishevelled.

The police were expected to question them yesterday, but it is understood that experts have warned them that they are both suggestible and that repeated questioning could give them ideas. A spokesman for South Yorkshire police, said: "Having taken professional advice from medical and child experts, consideration of any further interviews will be delayed while evidence is being gathered."

The police yesterday asked for the driver of a white C-registration Ford Escort, seen on Maltby Common on Saturday, to contact them. They also want to speak to a man with young children seen walking his German shepherd dog on the common.

The officer added: "We are getting together witness accounts and may get back to talking to the children later. This is not like a normal case. We have got to be so careful. It's a search for the truth to try to find out what happened in Louis' last hours."

Neither of the children has been arrested.

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