British Aristocrat, Partner Convicted of Newborn Manslaughter

Constance Marten, a British aristocrat, and her partner Mark Gordon were found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter for the death of their newborn daughter Victoria after a lengthy police search. The couple, who had gone on the run and lived in freezing conditions while avoiding authorities following the removal of their previous four children by the courts, were arrested in Brighton in February 2023. Victoria's decomposed body was discovered in a shopping bag at an allotment where the couple had been living, with prosecutors stating the infant died from hypothermia or suffocation. Despite Marten's privileged background and family ties to the royal family, she chose to live off-grid and in poverty with Gordon, a convicted rapist who had served over 20 years in a U.S. prison. The couple denied wrongdoing, claiming Victoria's death was a tragic accident, but were also convicted of perverting the course of justice, concealing the birth of a child, and child cruelty during their trials. The investigation involved hundreds of officers across the UK, who expressed devastation over the outcome and emphasized the focus had been on finding Victoria alive.