Wirral parents jailed for murdering their baby son
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Today, Monday 23 March, the Wirral couple convicted of murdering their baby boy have been jailed.
On 24 November 2024 we received a report that three-month-old Miguel Pirjani was found unresponsive at a house in Seacombe.
The infant was admitted to Alder Hey Hospital and medical tests confirmed he had a fractured skull and rib fractures.
Sadly, despite the efforts of medical professionals, Miguel was sadly pronounced deceased five days later, on 29 November 2024.
His parents Klevi Pirjani and Nivalda Santos Pirjani were initially arrested and charged with causing grievous bodily harm and Section 18 wounding with intent.
However following their son’s death, they were subsequently charged with murder, Section 18 assault and causing or allowing the death of a child.
A three-week trial commenced on Monday 6 October last year and Miguel’s mum, Nivalda Santos Pirjani, pleaded guilty to causing/allowing the death of a child, which was refused by the Crown Prosecution Service and the trial continued.
On 29 October, the jury found both parents guilty of murder and Section 18 assault with intent. His father was also found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child – of which Nivalda had already pleaded guilty during the course of the trial.
Today, Klevi Pirjani was sentenced to life in prison to serve a minimum of 19 years while his wife Nivalda Santos Pirjani was given life in prison to serve a minimum of 15 years, three months.
Senior Investigating officer Detective Inspector Holly Chance said: “Baby Miguel’s life was cruelly cut short at the hands of his parents who were meant to nurture and protect him from harm.
"We hope this sentencing provides some sense of justice for Miguel’s wider family who won’t be able to see him grow up and our thoughts remain with them.
“This was a tragic and extremely distressing case for the investigation team to work on, and I want to take this opportunity to recognise their determination to seek justice for baby Miguel, as well as the support received from the Crown Prosecution Service."
If you have any concerns for a person’s welfare contact Merseyside Police social media desk via X @MerPolCC or on Facebook ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre. You can also report information via our website: https://www.merseyside.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/ or call 101.
Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their website here: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/give-information-anonymously. In an emergency always call 999.
If you are a child or young person suffering physical abuse or know of someone suffering from such violence the following organisations can also provide help and support:
NSPCC – call 0808 800 5000 or e-mail [email protected].
Childline – call 0800 1111
If you’ve been affected by violence of any kind don’t be afraid to tell someone, find the courage to come forward and get the help you deserve.
There is a lot of support available from specialist officers within Merseyside Police and through the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Victim Care Merseyside service.