Mother Kills 4-Year-Old Boy, Police Probe Whether She Ate Him

SYDNEY, Jul 5: Police in Australia's state of New South Wales have launched a homicide investigation after a four-year-old boy was found dead at a home on the Central Coast, with authorities examining whether cannibalism may have played a role in the case.

A 32-year-old woman walked into Wyong Police Station at about 4:40 p.m. on Saturday. Officers then carried out a welfare check at a unit on Byron Street, where they discovered the body of the young boy.

Police said the child had sustained significant injuries to one of his arms. The woman was arrested and later charged with murder in a domestic violence-related case.

Authorities have not officially confirmed reports of cannibalism, but Australian media, citing police sources, said investigators are examining the possibility as part of their inquiry.

Speaking at a press conference, Superintendent Chad Gillies described the scene as "extremely confronting."

"It has been confirmed the child had injuries. I am not going to speculate further on what those injuries are," Gillies said.

He confirmed that the woman and the boy were the only occupants of the unit and lived there together.

"There is a domestic relationship to the child... the 32-year-old female and the four-year-old child lived at the unit together," he said, adding that the woman was already known to police.

The accused did not appear in court for a bail hearing. The case has been adjourned until September 1.

Under Australian legal restrictions, the identities of the woman and the child have not been released.

Police said detectives will continue a thorough investigation to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the child's death.

"We try to understand what's happened, why it's happened, and 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," Superintendent Gillies said.