The investigation into the deaths of a mother and her seven-year-old son is now being treated as a potential murder-suicide.

The mother, 36, and her son have only been identified by their first names, Paulina and Lech, from Grudziądzt in Poland.

They were on board the Stena Spirit ferry from Poland to Sweden on Friday when they both fell overboard. Despite the best efforts of search and rescue crews they both died in hospital.

At first it was believed Lech had fallen into the water and his mother had bravely jumped in to save him – but Swedish authorities leading the investigation are now treating it as a murder-suicide, the Mirror reports.

It’s now thought Paulina deliberately jumped overboard with her son.

A fellow passenger, named only as Beata, told Polish newspaper Fakt: ‘I remember thinking it was unusual to have such a big baby in a stroller, but the boy may have been disabled in some way.

‘She looked tired, depressed. I was walking past her. Now I wish I had asked her any questions, made contact, anything.

‘I didn’t get the immediate impression that she needed help, but it would be better if I stayed by her side. But it was cold and I hid below deck.’

Swedish police spokesman Thomas Johansson said eyewitness accounts from crew and passengers, CCTV footage, and the identification of the victims, led them to treat the investigation as a murder case.

He added: ‘I would like to emphasise that there is no suspect and we do not intend to charge anyone.’

When asked if the reason for the lack of a suspect is ‘because she’s dead’, he cut the conversation short and said he couldn’t answer.

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