8 children found dead, woman wounded inside home in Australia
Victims range in age from 18 months to 15 years and
police believe injured woman is the mother of seven of the children.
Australia police say eight children
between the ages of 18 months and 15 years were found dead
at a house in Cairns suburb Friday.
By: Kristen Gelineau
Associated Press,
Published on Fri Dec 19 2014
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA—Eight dead children and a woman suffering from
stab wounds were found inside a home in a northern Australian
city on Friday, police said.
Police believe the 34-year-old woman with chest wounds is the
mother of seven of the children, and the eighth child is
believed to be one of her relatives, Detective Inspector Bruno
Asnicar said. She was receiving treatment for her injuries and
was in stable condition at a hospital.
Queensland state police said they were called to the home in the
Cairns suburb of Manoora on Friday morning after receiving a
report of a woman with serious injuries. When police got to the
house, they found the bodies of the children inside, ranging in
age from 18 months to 15 years.
Asnicar declined to say how the children died.
He said he didn’t believe there was a multiple murderer still at large and
that police were talking to the woman. Asked if she was a suspect, he said
officials have not yet identified any suspects and were questioning everyone
who had contact with the family in the past 2-3 days.
“As it stands at the moment, there’s no need for the public to be concerned
about this other than the fact that it’s a tragic, tragic event,” Asnicar
said. “The situation is well controlled at the moment. There shouldn’t be
any concern for anyone else out of this environment.”
Lisa Thaiday, who said she was the injured woman’s cousin, said one of the
woman’s other sons, a 20-year-old, came home and found his brothers and
sisters dead inside the house.
“I’m going to see him now, he needs comforting,” Thaiday said. “We’re a big
family. ... I just can’t believe it. We just found out (about) those poor
babies.”
The street has been cordoned off and a crime scene will remain in place for
at least the next day, Asnicar said.
Dozens of police descended on the home, and crowds of locals stood outside
the police barricades, some of them wiping away tears.
“These events are extremely distressing for everyone of course and police
officers aren’t immune from that — we’re human beings as well,” Ascinar
said.
The tragedy comes as Australia is still reeling from the shock of a
deadly siege in a Sydney cafe earlier this week. On Monday, a gunman
burst into a cafe in the heart of the city and took 18 people inside
hostage. Two hostages were killed along with the gunman after police stormed
in 16 hours later in a bid to end the siege.
“The news out of Cairns is heartbreaking,” Prime Minister Tony Abbott said
in 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.”
Source
Commentary by the Ottawa Mens Centre
It is far too soon for any commentary to be made however one will be made as
soon as more facts are released.
With "no suspects" it suggests that there is no other person responsible for
the murder of the children other than the mother who appears to have been
suffering some serious mental health problems.