Mum on baby charges
Investigation into why family lived in parks
THE Geelong mother of a baby girl found washed up dead on Surfers Paradise beach last month has been denied bail after she appeared in court over the infant’s death.
The Clonard Collegeeducated 23-year-old faced Byron Bay Local Court via video link yesterday over the death of her nine-month-old daughter.
But magistrate Jeff Linden closed the court, preventing journalists covering the case.
The baby girl’s mother was initially released by police after her 48-year-old partner was charged with murdering the nine-month-old by tossing her into the Tweed River on November 17.
But on Thursday, Gold Coast police arrested the mother after investigations by NSW detectives from Strike Force Palua, set up to probe the baby’s death.
The woman, whose name has been suppressed, was extradited to NSW on Thursday and appeared in Byron Bay Local Court yesterday via video link charged with failing to provide for her child and causing danger of death.
Court officials said Mr Linden had placed a nondisclosure order on all details except that the matter had been adjourned to Tweed Heads Local Court on Tuesday.
Beach walkers found the naked baby washed up on Surfers Paradise beach about 12.30am on November 19, two days after she was allegedly thrown into the Tweed River, about 30km south.
The parents, the baby and a two-year-old son were homeless and living in parks up and down the Gold Coast.
They were well known to authorities and the baby’s death has sparked a top-level investigation into how child safety officials allowed the children to be living on the streets.
The woman’s former school said last month it intended to reach out to the “much-loved” student’s family to offer support.
Newsletters published by Clonard College say she competed in triathlons, badminton, hockey and swimming representing the school.
A newsletter says she won a school talent quest, “singing her own composition about Brigidine Day”, an annual celebration at the Catholic school.
In a another edition, she was congratulated by a studio arts teacher for being selected to show their artwork in the Geelong Top Arts Exhibition following Year 12 studio arts.
The woman grew up on a Lara property, and reportedly studied a Bachelor of Psychology Services at Deakin before moving to Queensland for her studies four years ago.