A mother in Australia has been charged with murder after her 4-year-old daughter was found dead inside the family’s Queensland home in a scene police described as deeply disturbing.
Emergency crews were called to a property in Lowood, Queensland, at about 11:10 p.m. on Monday, May 25, after reports that a child was unresponsive.
When responders arrived, they found the little girl inside the home. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Two other children were also inside the property at the time. Police said both were unharmed. They are both under the age of 3.
The child has been identified by local outlets as Cleo Rose Catterall.
Her mother, 31-year-old Jessie Renee Phillips, has been charged with one count of murder domestic violence against a child, according to Queensland Police.
Detective Inspector Michael Manago said the investigation is still in its early stages, and police are working to piece together exactly what happened before the emergency call was made.
“I’m not going to get ahead of myself with what the motive, or potential motive, may be. It’s the early days of the investigation,” Manago said, according to local reports.
Police are also trying to establish a timeline, including how long Phillips may have waited before calling emergency services after her daughter became unresponsive.
“It was a terribly confronting scene for those responding,” Manago said.
Forensic investigators were seen at the family’s home on Tuesday morning as police continued combing through the property.
Queensland Police Minister Dan Purdie described the scene as “horrific.”
“It’s tragic for the family, it’s tragic for the community, it’s tragic for the frontline police and emergency services that went there,” Purdie told reporters, according to the Brisbane Times.
Authorities said Phillips was the only adult inside the home at the time of the child’s death. Police also confirmed that all three children in the home were biologically hers, though they have different fathers.
Police have not publicly said whether the family was previously known to authorities.
Premier David Crisafulli called the case “deeply troubling” and said he wants a full investigation into the child’s death.
“It’s just so deeply troubling, and I want to see a full and thorough investigation,” Crisafulli told reporters.
A postmortem examination is expected to provide more clarity on how the little girl died.
Phillips is scheduled to appear in Ipswich Magistrates Court.
Police are urging anyone with information that may help the investigation to come forward.