Abigail's amazing recovery
Stabbing victim Abigail Witchalls is today answering police questions by mouthing yes or no.
In a vital breakthrough, the young mother, who is paralysed from the neck down and unable to speak, began giving clues to her ordeal for the first time.
She is being interviewed by two female detectives at her beside at St George's Hospital, Tooting. Her responses are being captured on audio and video tape. A police source said: "She is talking to us by using facial expressions and blinking. It is clear she understands everything we say to her."
The development came after it emerged that Mrs Witchalls was making a remarkable recovery. The 26-year-old was attacked in the village of Little Bookham, Surrey, last Wednesday as she walked her 21-month-old son Joseph.
Detective Superintendent Adrian Harper, leading the inquiry, said: "We are in the process of taking a statement from Abigail about what happened.
"Apart from her son, Abigail is the only person who saw her attacker and the information that she may be able to give us will be crucial to our investigation.
"Both Abigail and her family have handled the terrible situation in which they find themselves with enormous dignity and courage and I believe that Abigail will want to give us all the help more than 300 calls from the public, some of which had provided significant information which was being followed up.
DS Harper added: "I am delighted with the response that we have received to our appeals for information from both the media and the public.
"The incident room has been f looded with information, much of it needing to be followed up, and my team are steadily working their way through these actions.
"I would still like anyone who was in the Little Bookham area last Wednesday afternoon and saw anything suspicious to come forward to us." DS Harper said Mrs Witchalls's condition was now stable and she had been communicating with members of her family by means of facial expression and blinking.
She is being interviewed by two specially-trained female officers, the police source added.
Mrs Witchalls was 10 weeks pregnant when she was stabbed in the neck. Doctors have refused to comment on the health of her unborn baby but say her recovery over the weekend has given them "great hope".
Her family, who are devout Catholics, have spent much of the weekend at her bedside in St George's hospital, Tooting.
Last night Mrs Witchalls was reunited for the first time with Joseph.
On Friday a 28-year-old man and a 27-year-old woman were arrested and a blue Peugeot car was seized.
The man was questioned for more than 30 hours on suspicion of attempted murder, but was released on Saturday night without charge. The woman was eliminated from the investigation.
