A 32-year-old woman has been charged with murder, after the body of a four-year-old boy was found at a home on the NSW Central Coast.
Police allege the woman attended Wyong Police Station about 4.40pm on Saturday and made statements that prompted officers to conduct a welfare check.
“I won’t go into specifics except to say that there were some discussions and conversations had with police and through those conversations, police formed genuine concerns,” Tuggerah Lakes Police Superintendent Chad Gillies said.
The boy was found dead inside the property and police believe he had been deceased for some time before his body was discovered.
The child is yet to be formally identified, but police believe he was known to the woman.
“The scene can only be described as confronting for all police and emergency service workers that were there,” Gillies said.
He said investigators were focused on establishing exactly what happened.
“My priority at the moment now is to work through the investigation with detectives to understand exactly what happened and why it happened, and importantly, as well, providing welfare to all the police that attended last night and through the investigation.
“Whenever a child is a victim of violent crime and whenever a child is murdered, it strikes at the core of community. That’s why it’s absolutely important we work through this methodically, we try to understand what’s happened, why it happened.
“From my perspective, we owe that to that little boy to make sure that we get the exact circumstances and present them to the court in due course, and that is the focus over the coming days and weeks for investigators.”
Gillies also said the woman was known to police.
Neighbour Harley Chislett, who previously babysat the boy, said he was devastated by the news.
On Sunday morning, he found one of the child’s toy cars and decided to keep it as a way to remember the boy who he described as “the happiest kid”.
Chislett said he had heard what he believed was a typical argument in the days before the boy’s body was discovered.
“I thought it was just a typical mother and son argument, just a bit of screaming and carrying on,” he said.
He remembered the four-year-old fondly.
“The happiest kid I’ve seen around at that age,” Chislett said.
A family friend also described the boy as “very energetic”.
Reports have emerged that police sources have told multiple media outlets the woman allegedly made a reference to cannibalism while at the police station.
Authorities have not confirmed those reports, as the inquiries continue.
Police said the woman has been charged with murder (DV). She did not apply for bail when she appeared before the Bail Division Court on Sunday and was formally refused bail.
Her lawyers indicated they would seek a mental health assessment and a suppression order.
She is due to return to court in September.
Image: 7News/ Nine
