A woman has been charged with the murder of a boy who was in her care inside what police describe as a “normal suburban household” in the suburbs of Townsville.
The woman and the boy shared “loose family connections” and her own children were present at the time of the alleged killing, Det Sen Sgt Dave Miles told media in the north Queensland city on Monday morning.
The boy was dead when emergency services arrived at the crime scene after 7pm on Saturday night, having suffered a significant and obvious head injury, apparently caused by a weapon.
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“The injury is consistent with what appears to be blunt force trauma,” Miles said. “We will await the outcome of the autopsy before we make an absolute determination of what weapon may have been used.”
Police believe the boy’s injuries were inflicted within a period of eight hours prior to their arrival, but are awaiting the results of an autopsy for further details about when and how he was allegedly murdered.
Emergency services were called by “another relative” who had spoken to the accused woman.
The woman was arrested at the home and was to face Townsville magistrates court on Monday.
Her children were “being cared for external to the home of the moment”, the police officer said.
There were no other adults present at the time of the alleged murder.