Boy found injured after mother’s death in Porsgrunn

Police in Porsgrunn have confirmed that a 5-year-old boy spent an entire night outdoors after his 39-year-old mother died in a fall the previous day, Dagbladet reports.

According to police inspector Odd Kostveit, the incident likely occurred Monday evening, with the boy falling alongside his mother. The child was discovered with serious fractures and remains hospitalized.

“He is being treated for fractures and is doing as well as can be expected,” said Knut-Erik Storlykken Søvik, the boy’s court-appointed lawyer. The boy’s father is also coping under the circumstances, Søvik added.

A preliminary autopsy report indicates the woman’s injuries are consistent with a fall from a great height, aligning with the police’s leading theory. Investigators have recovered a phone at the scene and are examining electronic traces to reconstruct the pair’s movements.

The boy was not dropped off at kindergarten on Monday, Kostveit confirmed. A relative reported the two missing, first as a concern at 12:40 PM, then formally at 5:00 PM that day.

Police are also investigating a fire in the woman’s apartment Monday morning, though Kostveit emphasized the inquiry is ongoing and complex.