Woman Charged in Australia Child Death

Sun Oct 21, 12:25 AM EDT
SYDNEY, Australia —
A woman has been arrested and charged with murdering a 2-year-old boy whose body was found in a suitcase dumped in a pond in suburban Sydney.

The 26-year-old woman was denied bail when she appeared Sunday in the Parramatta Local Court in Sydney. Authorities refused to identify the woman or specify her relationship to the child.

The woman was arrested late Saturday at her Sydney home, which was raided by police Friday. A 29-year-old man was also taken into custody Saturday, but was later released pending further inquiries.

A group of children found the naked body on Wednesday last week stuffed into a suitcase and floating in a duck pond at a suburban Sydney park. The find _ after the suitcase floated in the pond for at least two days _ drew cries of outrage from politicians, the police and the public.

Police drove the woman to the suspected crime scene near the pond late Saturday.

Road blocks and tarpaulins around the area prevented a vigil of more than 100 area residents from approaching or watching. The residents hurled obscenities at the woman and later charged the car she was in as it left the scene.

Authorities have said that the child probably knew his killer, and that the absence of a missing person's report suggested he was not kidnapped.

The woman faces a potential life sentence if convicted. Her next court appearance is Dec. 12.

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