Police in Ballymena are investigating the deaths of three family members at a house on the Old Cullybackey Road. The bodies of a 41-year-old man, a 39-year-old woman, and an eight-year-old girl were discovered on Monday morning.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said the working hypothesis is a double murder followed by a sudden death. Post-mortem examinations were underway and detectives are not seeking anyone else in connection with the deaths. The family is believed to have been originally from Poland, and specialist officers are liaising with the Polish Consulate to inform relatives.

TUV leader Jim Allister said the confirmation of a child among the victims added a dimension of horror. He expressed sympathy for relatives in Ballymena and Poland and acknowledged the distress of the girl’s school friends. UUP leader John Burrows urged the public to avoid speculation and paid tribute to emergency responders who attended what he described as a harrowing scene.

A community vigil was held at the Braid Arts Centre on Wednesday evening, organised by Youth Ambassadors Northern Ireland as a moment of quiet reflection. Prayers were also offered at All Saints Catholic Church, where parishioners were described as shocked and saddened by the news.

Dorothy Zdanuczyk of Cooltura, the Polish Community Centre in Belfast, said the family appeared to be a normal and quiet household and were not widely known within the local Polish community. She added that the centre would offer emotional support to anyone affected. Jerome Mullen, the Polish honorary consul in Northern Ireland, described the incident as the worst tragedy involving the Polish community he had encountered in 18 years. He estimated the Polish population in Northern Ireland had fallen from around 45,000 to the mid-20,000s.

Women’s Aid said the woman who died was the 31st female to be murdered in Northern Ireland since 2020.