Innisfail baby death: Girl placed in kinship care by Child Safety before dying

The baby girl who was found unresponsive at an Innisfail house and later died was placed in kinship care by the Department of Child Safety before the tragedy.

A three-week-old girl has died after being taken to Innisfail Hospital.

The baby girl who was found unresponsive at an Innisfail house and later died was placed in kinship care by the Department of Child Safety before the tragedy.

Following a triple-0 call, paramedics arrived at the property at 9.30am on Saturday, May 11.

The three-week old child was rushed to Innisfail Hospital but she never pulled through and was declared dead soon after.

Neighbours reported a strong police presence at the highset Queenslander and for two days the property was cordoned off with crime scene tape to allow detectives from the Innisfail Child Protection and Investigation Unit to investigate the circumstances of what police have classified as a sudden death.

Living over the road from the house, 93-year-old Alice Rogers went to call police and then saw emergency service vehicles through her window.

“I knew something was not right,” she said.

“I picked up the phone to ring the police and next thing I know police and ambulance came tearing around the corner.”

The property was tapped off for two days by police. Picture AAPimage/David Clark

A man at the Mighell property claimed the Department of Child Safety had placed the baby in the care of his partner.

He said the mother of the child lived in Cairns and she was unable to care for her daughter and he had provided a home for the child as a kinship carer.

“We are just trying to get through it at the moment and trying to be strong for the missus,” he said.

Though at home when the child was rushed to hospital, the man claimed he did not know what happened and was waiting to hear more from police.

The man described the unnamed girl as a beautiful little baby and the whole family was grieving the loss.

Resident Vic Trask was asked by police to provide CCTV vision to place after the death of the three-week-old baby girl last Saturday. Picture: Peter Carruthers

Another resident of the street Vic Trask, said investigating police officers had requested to watch security camera footage of the street recorded on the morning of May 11, however he didn’t believe cameras recorded anything significant.

Mr Trask’s neighbours Beverly and Jack Vallis said they were shocked by news of the baby’s death and the police presence at their usually quiet street.

“I was surprised last night when I put the TV on and it was on the news,” she said.

“All the police were there from 9 o’clock on Saturday morning to 6 o’clock on Sunday night.

“It’s upsetting.”

Police have not laid any charges in relation to the infant’s death.

Originally published as Innisfail baby death: Girl placed in kinship care by Child Safety before dying