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Cairns deaths: Children's mother arrested for murder | Cairns deaths: Children's mother arrested for murder |
(about 7 hours later) | |
The mother of seven of eight children found dead at a house in Cairns, Australia, has been arrested on suspicion of murder. | The mother of seven of eight children found dead at a house in Cairns, Australia, has been arrested on suspicion of murder. |
Mersane Warria, 37, is talking to officers. She has not been charged. | |
She was found at her home with stab wounds, alongside the bodies of the eight children. A coroner is due to conduct post-mortem examinations. | She was found at her home with stab wounds, alongside the bodies of the eight children. A coroner is due to conduct post-mortem examinations. |
The victims were aged 18 months to 14 years. Police have not said how they died. The eighth child was her niece. | The victims were aged 18 months to 14 years. Police have not said how they died. The eighth child was her niece. |
Confirming the arrest, Cairns Detective Inspector Bruno Asnicar said: "The 37-year-old mother of several of the children involved in this incident has been arrested for murder overnight and is currently under police guard at the Cairns Base Hospital." | Confirming the arrest, Cairns Detective Inspector Bruno Asnicar said: "The 37-year-old mother of several of the children involved in this incident has been arrested for murder overnight and is currently under police guard at the Cairns Base Hospital." |
Identified by the local media, Ms Warria remains in a stable condition in hospital recovering from stab wounds. | |
"She is awake and lucid and able to speak," Detective Inspector Asnicar said. | |
"At this stage we're not looking for anybody else - we're comfortable that the community at large is safe," he added. | "At this stage we're not looking for anybody else - we're comfortable that the community at large is safe," he added. |
'Unspeakable crime' | 'Unspeakable crime' |
Police found a number of weapons at the scene, including knives, which are being examined. | |
The bodies were reportedly discovered by the mother's 20-year-old son arriving at the home on Friday morning. | The bodies were reportedly discovered by the mother's 20-year-old son arriving at the home on Friday morning. |
Police have dismissed reports the family had been investigated by social services saying it was "not a problem house". | Police have dismissed reports the family had been investigated by social services saying it was "not a problem house". |
Memorials have sprung up outside the home in the Manoora district of Cairns. | Memorials have sprung up outside the home in the Manoora district of Cairns. |
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said in a statement it was an "unspeakable crime". | Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said in a statement it was an "unspeakable crime". |
These were "trying days for our country", he added. | These were "trying days for our country", he added. |
The deaths come just days after the siege of a cafe in Sydney which ended with the gunman and two hostages dead. | The deaths come just days after the siege of a cafe in Sydney which ended with the gunman and two hostages dead. |