Police said a woman was arrested for allegedly poisoning an infant girl for two months to post videos online and solicit donations.
According to a Thursday statement, the Queensland Police in Australia stated that the Morningside Child Protection and Investigation Unit has charged a female with torture after an “extensive investigation into allegations of an innocent infant being poisoned.”
Authorities said that between August 6, 2024, and October 15, 2024, a Sunshine Coast woman, 34, is alleged to have administered unauthorized prescriptions and pharmacy drugs to a 1-year-old girl who she knew, without obtaining medical approval. The woman is also accused of ignoring medical advice and obtaining unauthorized medications, including medicines that were meant for someone else in the home.
Further investigation into the case revealed that “the woman carefully concealed her continued attempts to administer unauthorized medications until the matter was discovered and reported to the police by medical personnel from a Brisbane south hospital while the child was admitted.”
The police announced the charges against an unnamed woman and said the child had suffered “immense pain and distress” as the woman recorded and uploaded videos of the victim online.
Police said: “It’s alleged that the content created exploited the children and was used as a way to attract monetary donations and followers online.”
On Oct. 15, 2024, the medical staff informed detectives of the harm done to the child, and the police took immediate action to protect that child throughout their investigation.
The Australian authorities reported that a test for unapproved medicines administered to children returned positive results on Jan. 7.
Police said that Morningside CPIU detectives arrested the woman at an address in Underwood and charged her with five counts of administering poison to harm with intent, three counts for preparing to commit crimes using dangerous things, and one count of each torture, child exploitation, and fraud.
She will appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday, tomorrow. Detective Inspector Paul Dalton stated that offenses of such a nature are abhorrent, and CPIU detectives were committed to protecting and holding offenders accountable.
He said, “We are all too often confronted with the most horrific crimes against children when we work in CPIU. We will do all we can to keep that child out of harm’s reach and hold the offender accountable. It is never acceptable to harm a child. This is especially true for a 1-year-old baby who relies on others for survival and care.”
The investigation is ongoing.
