Woman charged with murder of baby girl more than 12 years ago in Queensland

Officials started special operation with new ‘credible information’ received by police

Queensland police charge woman for death of her baby over 12 years ago (Queensland Police)

A woman in Queensland has been charged with murder more than a decade after the death of her baby girl.

The three-month-old baby girl was found “not breathing” and unresponsive by paramedics at a property southeast of Brisbane on 2 September 2011, and died four days later.

“The baby was transported to the Redland Bay Hospital and later the Mater Children’s Hospital, where she died on September 6, 2011,” Queensland Police said in a statement on Saturday.

While the baby’s death was investigated at the time, there was no evidence of any “foul play” and the status of the investigation remained undetermined.

Following “new and credible information” received by the police from a community source in January 2024, investigation into the girl’s death was relaunched.

Officials started a special operation with the new leads, involving detectives from child protection services.

“Operation Whiskey Magra, involving detectives from the Bayside Child Protection Investigation Unit (CPIU) and the Crime and Intelligence Command Child Trauma Unit, was commenced,” according to Queensland Police.

On Friday, they arrested the baby girl’s mother, a 29-year-old woman, in the Logan suburb of Kingston town, and charged her with murder.

“She was refused police bail and is due to appear before the Brisbane Magistrates Court today, 9 March,” the Queensland Police said.

The woman was 17 years old at the time of the murder 12 years ago.

Detectives would have to consider whether the woman would be tried as a minor.

“These people had to deal with the death of a child 12 years ago, which I could only imagine would be horrific,” Queensland police officer Paul Dalton told local news.

“Then for detectives to come and tell you 12 years later that we think your child had been murdered and not only that but that someone that you know is responsible… I can only imagine what they’re going through,” Mr Dalton said.