Berserker child death: Police arrest 36-year-old woman

A woman has been arrested and charged with murder after an eight-year-old boy was found dead during a welfare check at a Rockhampton home.

A woman has been charged with murder after an eight-year-old boy was found dead inside a Rockhampton home during a police welfare check.

Police were called to a Waterloo St, Berserker address, in the city’s north, about 2.20am on Saturday, where they found the boy ‘unresponsive’.

Detectives from the Rockhampton Child Protection and Investigation Unit have launched an investigation and a 36-year-old woman, who was known to the child, has been arrested.

She has since been charged over the boy’s alleged murder.

A 36-year-old Berserker woman has been arrested following the suspicious death of an 8-year-old boy early Saturday morning in Waterloo St. Picture: Vanessa Jarrett

At the scene on Saturday morning, police had cordoned off the driveway access to the “Frank Bryson Court” units, letting out residents when they needed to leave.

Plain clothed officers came in and out of the area and other police officers were guarding the scene.

The street, in walking distance from the Frenchville Sports Club, was a quiet scene and neighbours came out in their front yards to see what was going on.

Most of the neighbours reported they hadn’t heard anything overnight, not even any sirens, and were shocked to hear the news of the boy’s death.

The boy was often seen riding his scooter in the street or on his way to school.

One neighbour said he often heard screaming and fighting coming from the unit.

The property, a unit complex, is owned by the Department of Housing.

Capricornia Police District Detective Acting Inspector, Luke Peachey said the Rockhampton Child Investigation Unit would be liaising with Brisbane counterparts.

About 2.20am police were called to the address and then entered the home, where the boy was found unresponsive.

QAS paramedics also attended the scene where the boy was pronounced dead, a crime scene was then declared.

Insp Peachey said the 36-year-old woman had been arrested for the alleged murder of the child.

He said there was a lot of investigation work to be done, including inquiries into the boy’s cause of death.

He could not detail the specifics of how the woman knew the boy.

Insp Peachey said it was always difficult for first responders when attending the scene, but this situation was particularly tragic.

“Whenever we attend a scene where anyone is deceased it’s never great, but obviously it hits a bit harder when there’s an 8-year-old boy has been found deceased and especially in these circumstances, which are suspicious,” he said.

“It’s tragic, we’ll get around those officers and the other emergency services as well as reaching out to the family.”

“Hopefully in the next day or so we’ll have a clearer idea of exactly what happened,” he said.

“At this stage we’re still contacting family members to make sure they know so we won’t be realising any further details at this stage.”

The woman is expected to appear at the Rockhampton Court House on Monday morning.

Anyone with information related to the child’s death is urged to contact police.