Advertisement
Australia markets closed

  • ALL ORDS

    7,937.50
    -0.40 (-0.01%)
     

  • ASX 200

    7,683.00
    -0.50 (-0.01%)
     

  • AUD/USD

    0.6505
    +0.0005 (+0.08%)
     

  • OIL

    82.64
    -0.17 (-0.21%)
     

  • GOLD

    2,331.60
    -6.80 (-0.29%)
     

  • Bitcoin AUD

    98,904.98
    -3,867.29 (-3.76%)
     

  • CMC Crypto 200

    1,395.78
    -28.32 (-1.99%)
     

  • AUD/EUR

    0.6073
    +0.0003 (+0.05%)
     

  • AUD/NZD

    1.0947
    +0.0006 (+0.05%)
     

  • NZX 50

    11,946.43
    +143.15 (+1.21%)
     

  • NASDAQ

    17,526.80
    +55.33 (+0.32%)
     

  • FTSE

    8,040.38
    -4.43 (-0.06%)
     

  • Dow Jones

    38,460.92
    -42.77 (-0.11%)
     

  • DAX

    18,088.70
    -48.95 (-0.27%)
     

  • Hang Seng

    17,115.00
    -86.27 (-0.50%)
     

  • NIKKEI 225

    37,925.76
    -534.32 (-1.39%)
     

Dead baby washed up on Australian tourist beach was drown by her family as a 'sacrifice,' police say

Christian Edwards
Updated

  • A nine-month-old baby girl whose body has washed up on an iconic Australian surfing beach was "sacrificed" by her family, according to local police.

  • The baby's body is believed to have drifted in the current for two days before washing ashore at the hugely popular tourist beach city of Surfers Paradise.

A baby girl has allegedly been thrown into the ocean by her father in what distressed Australian police believe was a "sacrifice."

Sources familiar with the investigation told Australian Associated Press that a family of four were identified on CCTV travelling across the state line between Queensland and New South Wales on Australia's eastern coast.

ADVERTISEMENT

Once in NSW it is alleged that the naked baby girl was thrown into a harbour in the township of Tweed Heads.

The child's empty pram was left alongside the water.

Police are reportedly in possession of images that show only three people catching a return bus across the border and into Queensland.

It is believed that passers-by on the beach at Surfers Paradise then located the infant at around 12.30am on Monday.

Notes and toys have been left for the girl who was found dead after drifting along the northern currents for at least 48 hours.

Local police have confirmed that they were able to establish that the baby died across the border in NSW but at this stage have not provided any further details.

AAP reports that Police sources are alleging that while the infant's mother has admitted to knowing about the planned "sacrifice," only the father would be accused of the act of throwing her into the water.

The infant's father has been reported to be a 48-year-old homeless man and he is expected to be charged by police.

According to AAP, the girl's mother has been released from custody and will not face charges.

Police sources understand that the 23-year-old has been placed in the mental health system in Queensland.

Queensland police detectives have been "deeply distressed" by the circumstance of the child's death, the sources said.