Police in Majorca await girl's recovery to ask about hotel fall
Police in Majorca hope to question a seven-year-old girl over how she came to fall from the fifth floor of a hotel.
Gianna Cooper may be the only person able to explain what happened before she fell 30ft from the balcony of a room she was sharing with her mother, Sara, whose body was later found in a cave.
Officers said the youngster may have been pushed over the railings of the Hotel Samoa in Calas de Majorca.
She remains in a coma in intensive care and may not regain consciousness for days.
The body of Sara Cooper, who disappeared shortly after the girl’s mystery fall, was found on Wednesday.
The 45-year-old, from Cambridgeshire in the UK, had been sharing a room with her daughter. Police on the island are now trying to piece together the moments leading up to the girl’s fall.
A police spokeswoman said: “We are considering two possibilities; that she fell by accident or that someone pushed her.
“These are the only two possibilities at the moment.
“The girl is currently in a coma. Police cannot speak to her until she is better but I imagine they will want to see if she remembers anything.”
She added: “We must take a lot of care and wait until she is better.
“There is also the possibility that she won’t remember anything.”
Gianna has been receiving medical treatment at the Son Dureta University Hospital since the fall, which happened at 7.30am on Monday morning.
Mrs Cooper’s body was found at about 5pm on Wednesday in a seaside cave in Porto Cristo, Cala Domingos, close to the hotel.
In a statement Mr Cooper said he was devastated by the discovery of his wife’s body.
He said: “I can confirm the terrible news that the body of my dear wife, Sara, was found yesterday by the police.
“This is devastating news for me and my family and I would be grateful to the media if they could respect my family’s privacy in order for us to concentrate on the recovery of my daughter who continues to make good progress and the well-being of my three sons.”
The results of a post mortem examination have not been released.
Last night friends held a vigil at a church near the family home.
Friends expressed disbelief at the idea Mrs Cooper might have pushed her daughter over the edge.
Tracy Higgins, whose daughter goes to school with Gianna, said: “Sara was the perfect mother. She doted over her daughter. I just can’t believe it.
“She loved Gianna – she idolised her. If she did this because she thought Gianna was dead I can kind of understand it. She always defended her children when they needed defending and did whatever needed to be done for them.”
