Police investigate death of girl, 11, at Mount Cotton home

Family friends are mourning an 11-year-old girl found dead at her home southeast of Brisbane. Her mother is recovering in hospital.

Police at the scene of the 11-year-old girl's death, which they are not treating as suspicious. Picture: Patrick Billings

THE 11-year-old child found dead at her home at Mt Cotton southeast of Brisbane has been described as an “honest-to-goodness beautiful little girl”.

According to close family friends, Sophie Smith and her mother Nicole, who went by the name Nixta, were inseparable.

“Sophie is just a beautiful absolutely innocent heartfelt girl,” she told The Courier-Mail.

“Nixta is such a beautiful mum, I can’t imagine her without her daughter.

“Her whole world was Sophie, her life is her daughter she is a charitable, lovely lady.

“It’s very upsetting, we can’t believe it, it’s shocking.”

Sophie Smith was found dead.

Sophie’s mother Nicole

A steady stream of flowers and cards have been dropped off at the home.

One read: “Sophie darling, our beautiful unicorn girl forever in our hearts. Our love and grief is overflowing.”

Sophie’s mother, who is in her 40s, is in hospital with unspecified injuries.

Authorities were called to the home at Mount Cotton about 6pm yesterday and found the girl’s body.

Cleveland Detective Inspector Owen Elloy said the girl’s death was tragic but was not being treated as suspicious or as an accident, but forensic officers continue to investigate at the scene.

“Obviously it’s a very sad event and it’s not something at this point in time we believe is suspicious,” he said.

“We’re now preparing a brief of evidence for the coroner.”

The house remained cordoned off today. Picture: John Gass/AAP

The Courier-Mail has been told the girl died of natural causes and her mother had self-inflicted injuries.

The woman’s husband is understood to have been away at the time of the incident.

A neighbour is understood to have found the woman and the child.

Steve Parr, a local in the area, arrived at the scene to pay his respects even though he didn’t know the family.

“It’s just an absolute tragedy. This is such a lovely quiet area lots of families lots of kids. This doesn’t happen in Mt Cotton,” he said.

“There’s nothing worse than a child’s death ... it just rips at your heart.”

Mt Cotton is a semi-rural community in the Redland City Council area, southeast of Brisbane.

An autopsy will be carried out today  and police will prepare a report for the coroner.

Lifeline 13 11 14

Forensic officers at the scene today. Picture: John Gass/AAP

Originally published as Police investigate death of girl, 11, at Mount Cotton home