A heartbroken father, 23, has spoken out after his newborn baby daughter was allegedly dropped on the floor by an unsupervised six-year-old boy. The family has slammed the hospital where the incident occurred. Zayneb-Cassandra was born prematurely at seven-and-a-half months at Jeanne-de-Flandre Children's Hospital in Lille in northern France. She was just a week old when she died of a traumatic brain injury.

A criminal investigation is underway after Zayneb's death on Tuesday after days in intensive care, though the family say they have not received an apology from the hospital yet. Her father, Mohamed-Hamza, has spoken of his heartbreak for the first time since his daughter's tragic death, saying he broke down in tears at the news. The newborn's family slammed the "lack of empathy". Grandmother Fatima suggested there was a lack of support for the family following the baby's tragic death.

She revealed: "I was the one who had to ask the hospital staff for psychological support for my daughter, who had just lost her child."

The six-year-old was reported as being a "disruptive presence" in the hospital after being found in the neonatal unit with the unconscious baby.

Zayneb's second cousin Karima claimed the boy, the son of a woman on the maternity ward, had been calling the newborn "my doll". He had also reportedly been seen going into other rooms, disrupting other patients.

A spokesperson for Lille prosecutors said: "Investigations are currently underway in this case."

A hospital spokesperson added: "This human tragedy has deeply affected the staff and teams of Lille University Children’s Hospital, as well as the other families present."

Police opened an investigation by the juvenile unit of the Lille Judicial Police Service, while the hospital announced "an internal administrative investigation".