Review into boy’s death as mother charged with murder

An independent review will examine whether the alleged murder of a four-year-old boy by his mother could have been prevented.

The 32-year-old woman has been charged with murder following the “extremely confronting” discovery of the child’s body at a Wyong home on the NSW Central Coast on Saturday afternoon.

Authorities are preparing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death, including whether child protection officials were aware of the family, who was involved in the child’s care and what could have been done to prevent his death.

NSW Families Minister Kate Washington is expected to announce an independent review into the death on Monday afternoon.

Inspector Chad Gillies said welfare concerns were first raised after the woman went to her local police station and spoke to officers on Saturday.

“Through these conversations the police raised real concerns and that’s what triggered our response,” he told reporters on Sunday.

“It was an extremely confronting scene.”

The child had serious arm injuries. Police have not yet confirmed the cause of death.

Investigators believe he lived alone with the woman in the unit.

Supt Gillies said he was known to police and detectives were not looking for anyone else in connection with the boy’s death.

It is not clear whether the child has been dead for several days.

The woman was charged with domestic violence-related murder on Sunday.

Many items, including the car the woman used to drive to the police station, were seized for forensic examination.

“Every time a child is the victim of a violent crime and every time a child is (allegedly) murdered, it strikes at the very core of society,” Supt Gillies said.

The woman’s lawyer, Neusha Ghahreman, did not apply for bail on behalf of her client, who did not appear in court during Sunday’s brief hearing.

The case was postponed to September 1.

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