A WOMAN IN her thirties has been arrested in connection with the murder of two-year-old Santina Cawley who was found critically injured at an apartment block in Cork city last Friday.

The woman is being held for questioning at Gurranabraher garda station on the northside of Cork city following her arrest this morning.

Meanwhile, prayers were offered at masses in Ballinlough in Cork city over the weekend for Santina who passed away from her injuries at Cork University Hospital (CUH) last Friday morning.

Funeral arrangements have as yet to be finalised for the toddler who is survived by her parents Mike and Bridget and four siblings. The body of the toddler is expected to be released to the family on Wednesday.

Flowers and teddies were left outside the Elderwood Complex in Boreenmanna Road where Santina was found with critical injuries in the early hours of last Friday morning.

Santina was rushed to CUH shortly after 5am last Friday having sustained bone fractures and a serious head injury. Voluntary statements have been taken from her father and his girlfriend, who is not the child’s mother. The couple were in the apartment when the alarm was raised.

Efforts were made to stabilise Santina in hospital but she died at around 9.20am last Friday. A postmortem was undertaken on Santina’s body by Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster.

The case has been upgraded to a murder probe. However, the results of the post-mortem have not been released for operational reasons.

Gardaí have conducted door to door enquiries in the area. However, they are again appealing to members of the public to come forward if they were in the apartment complex between 4pm Thursday and 6am Friday.

It is understood that gardaí have linked in with Tusla in relation to the murder investigation.

Gardaí had been called to the apartment complex in Elderwood in the early hours of Friday morning following reports of noise.

However, when they arrived on site there was no disturbance or excessive volume.

The alarm was raised after a man knocked on neighbour’s door shouting that his baby girl was dead.

Tributes have been paid to little Santina on social media. One person posted that there was a “bed in heaven for our little doll” whilst another said “RIP you little angel, a cruel world.”

Anyone with information can contact Anglesea Street Garda Station on 021 -4522000 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.