Woman arrested in care home deaths investigation released without charges

An individual taken into custody on suspicion of manslaughter, following the fatalities of three residents at a care home, has been set free without any charges being brought. Detectives interrogated the 60-year-old after the discovery of two men, aged 74 and 91, and an 86-year-old woman deceased at Gainsborough Care Home in Swanage on 23 October. Dorset Police, who had previously indicated carbon monoxide poisoning as a potential factor, stated that the deaths continue to be classified as “unexplained.” Investigators commented that determining the cause of death for the residents might require several months, pending the outcomes of “detailed forensic submissions and analysis.” Det Ch Insp Neil Third stated: “Over recent weeks we have been continuing to gather as much information as we can, working with HM Coroner, to establish a cause of death.“To enable us to take a full account and recover any available evidence, while providing legal protection to the person, we made an arrest as part of our inquiries. “The arrest was also made to establish where there were any actions or omissions by that individual that were believed to be grossly negligent and we have now reached a position where we do not believe that to be the case.” Emergency responders initially arrived at the facility on Ulwell Road at 05:20 BST. Approximately 40 residents have been relocated to interim housing across Dorset, Hampshire, and West Sussex. The care home currently stands vacant. A representative for Gainsborough Care Home previously conveyed that they were “deeply saddened” and were “fully co-operating” with lead agencies. For updates, BBC Dorset can be followed on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.