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8 Children Found Dead Following A Horrific Mass Stabbing In Australia

Police have sealed off a street in the city in north Queensland after the killing of eight children aged between 18 months and 15 years old.

By Sadho Ram — 19 Dec 2014, 11:45 AM — Updated over 9 years ago

Cover image via guim.co.uk

An Australian Mother Is Charged With The Heinous Murder Of 8 Children In Cairns

An Australian woman who was found with eight dead children at her home in Cairns has been charged with murder. Mersane Warria, 37, was charged with eight counts of murder on Sunday for the death of seven of her children and her niece. She was charged in a bedside hearing at a hospital in Cairns, where she is under police guard and recovering from stab wounds, Queensland state police said.

independent.co.uk

It has not been confirmed how the children died, though reports have suggested they were stabbed to death. Queensland Police Detective Inspector Bruno Asnicar said officers are examining several knives in the home that could have been the murder weapon, but added that suffocation was also a possible cause of death.

huffingtonpost.com

Asnicar, who said the five fathers of the children had been informed, said police were investigating whether drug use was involved in the tragedy. "I want to make clear I'm not dismissing it," he said. "I'm saying that I can't discuss whether it's true or not."

Police have taken more than 100 witness statements and autopsies of the children, the eighth of whom was a niece of the charged woman, are expected to be completed later on Sunday, Asnicar said.

reuters.com
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19 Dec: Eight children have been found stabbed to death near the town of Cairns in Australia, and a 34-year-old woman had been taken to hospital with stab wounds, several media houses reported


Police were called to the house about 11.20am (08:30am Malaysia time) after receiving reports of a woman with serious injuries. Police found the bodies of the children in a search of the home.


The ages of the children reportedly range from 18 months to 15 years, all found in a home. The area is described as poor.



Detective Inspector Bruno Asnicar told media the investigation was in very early days and couldn't confirm the relationship between any of the victims or the woman in hospital


But as per a report by the AP:

“Lisa Thaiday, who said she was the woman’s cousin, said the children were all siblings and that the woman was their mother. Thaiday said another sibling, a 20-year-old man, came home and found his brothers and sisters dead inside the house.”

ap.org

Police have been comforting shocked residents outside the house

Image from bbcimg.co.uk
Image via bbcimg.co.uk

Members of the media at the scene

People mourn at the scene at Murray Street in Manoora

Detective Inspector Ascinar said specialists from Brisbane would be brought in to investigate, adding that there was no threat to the public in general


“As it stands at the moment there’s no need for the public to be concerned, other than it’s a tragic, tragic incident.”

theguardian.com

Meanwhile, Australian PM Tony Abbott, calling the crime "gut wrenching" and the deaths of the eight children "an unspeakable crime" and "heartbreaking", has released a statement:

All parents would feel a gut-wrenching sadness at what has happened.

This is an unspeakable crime.

These are trying days for our country.

Tonight, there will be tears and prayers across our country for these children.

My thoughts are with the Queensland Police and all who have to respond to this terrible situation.

theguardian.com

This is a developing story.

A few days ago, Australia was witness to another horrific incident, in which a cafe in Sydney was sieged for 16 hours and claimed 3 lives, including that of the perpetrator. Read on:

Gunman And Two Hostages Confirmed To Have Been Killed In The Sydney Siege

Three people died, including the perpetrator, after commandos stormed a cafe in Sydney, Australia, to bring to an end...

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