Two charged with murder of girl found ‘extremely emaciated’

Two people have been charged with the murder of a 12-year-old girl, who was found “extremely emaciated” at a Gold Coast home in 2022 in what has been described as a confronting case for police.

Tiffani Scholten was found unresponsive by emergency services at a Bellagio Crescent property in Coomera on April 18, 2022.

Police said paramedics arrived at the scene just after 8pm following a call reporting that the girl was not breathing.

An earlier photo of Tiffani Scholten, who police said had multiple health conditions. Credit: Nine News

The girl, who police said at the time suffered from several health conditions, was later declared dead. There were reports Tiffani had Rett syndrome, a rare neurological genetic disorder that affects the ability to move, speak, eat and talk.

Police launched Operation Uniform Zoysia to investigate the girl’s death, but it was not until Tuesday that police confirmed two people had been charged with murder.

Police confirmed the 37-year-old man and 36-year-old woman were known to Tiffani. They were scheduled to appear in the Southport Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

Police would allege the evidence detectives gained during the two-year investigation showed that Tiffani’s care had been insufficient, and related directly to her death, Detective Inspector Paul Fletcher said.

He said while Tiffani’s cause of death had been determined, he would not elaborate on it because the case was now before the court.

He would not confirm the relationships of the man and woman with the girl.

“The investigation into the death of this young girl has been one of the most heart-wrenching and complex we’ve had to conduct,” he said.

“From the moment the investigation commenced, our priority has been to seek justice for this innocent child, who was tragically failed by those known to her.

“It is deeply distressing to investigate the death of any child, but the circumstances surrounding this case have been particularly confronting for our officers.”

Fletcher said detectives worked with multiple government departments and medical experts on the investigation.

“It had a number of complexities to it, which added to that time delay, but in these matters, they’re of a very serious nature, so we don’t leave any stone unturned,” he said.

When questioned over reports Tiffani had Rett Syndrome and whether that played a factor in the case, Fletcher said it played a big part in the investigation.

After Tiffani’s death, police sought help from the public, and called on anyone who had visited the home between December 2021 until the day of the girl’s death to come forward.

Fletcher would not comment on whether anyone had reported concerns about the girl.