Man arrested after death of mother and son, released without further action

A man arrested after a mother and five-year-old died of stab wounds in north London has been released by police.

Police and paramedics found a 37-year-old woman and a five-year-old child with stab wounds at an address in Brookside South, Barnet, north London, on Tuesday.

Both were pronounced dead at the scene.

No one else is wanted in connection with the two deaths

Detective Chief Inspector Claire Hine

They have now been identified as Yi Chen, a Chinese national, and her son Xing Duan Yuan, who was born in the UK and held a Chinese passport.

A 37-year-old man who knew the deceased had been arrested on suspicion of murder but released without further action, it was said on Thursday.

A post-mortem examination of Yi Chen’s death indicated the cause of death as stab wounds.

Detective Chief Inspector Claire Hine, who is leading the investigation, said: “The post-mortem examination of Yi Chen has provided important new information about the nature of his injuries.

“Following the autopsy, the 37-year-old man who had been arrested in connection with the deaths was released without further action.

“No one else is wanted in connection with the two deaths.

“This incident has had a devastating effect on Yi and Duan’s family. We have specially trained officers who support them where we can.”

A post-mortem examination on Xing Duan Yuan is scheduled for Wednesday next week.