Tiffani Scholten death: Two charged with murder, what police allege happened

Police have charged two people with murder over the death of a 12-year-old, alleging she was ‘extremely emaciated’ when found dead in her home.

A Facebook image of Tiffani Scholten from 2014.

Police will allege that a 12-year-old girl found dead in her Coomera home was severely emaciated when emergency services arrived at the scene.

Detectives on Tuesday charged a 37-year-old Aaron Richardson and 36-year-old Carrissa Scholten with murder over the death of Tiffani Scholten, who was found dead at a Coomera address on 18 April 2022.

The pair, who it is understood were Tiffani’s guardians, had their case briefly mentioned at Southport Magistrates Court on Tuesday. They will return to court on November 8.

Police will allege that the death of Tiffani, who suffered from medical issues including a rare genetic disorder called Rett Syndrome, was as a result of insufficient care.

Facebook image of Tiffany Scholten from 2014.

Detective Inspector Paul Fletcher from the Gold Coast District Vulnerable Persons Unit said ambulance and police officers who had attended Tiffani’s home on the night she was found dead were faced with a “confronting” scene.

“At approximately 8.16pm on 18 April 2022 Queensland Ambulance Service received a phone call for a 12-year-old child that wasn’t breathing,” he said.

“Queensland Ambulance Service attended the address and was confronted with an extremely emaciated child that unfortunately had passed away.

“From there they have contacted police. They have commenced a major investigation into the death of this child.”

Detective Inspector Paul Fletcher. Picture: Keith Woods.

A crime scene was established on the night, with police later launching Operation Uniform Zoysia to investigate the circumstances of the girl’s death.

Detective Inspector Fletcher said the “complex” investigation involved consulting medical experts, government departments and interviewing multiple witnesses.

“The investigation into the death of this young girl has been one of the most heart-wrenching and complex we’ve had to conduct. From the moment the investigation commenced, our priority has been to seek justice for this innocent child,“ he said.

“It is deeply distressing to investigate the death of any child, but the circumstances surrounding this case have been particularly confronting for our officers. Our detectives have worked diligently, using every resource available to ensure we could bring this investigation to a close.”

He said the lengthy investigation had led police to allege that Tiffani, a former Southport Special School student, had not been properly cared for.

“Detectives from the Gold Coast Child Protection and Investigation Unit conducted numerous inquiries over a (lengthy) amount of time. The evidence that they gained showed that the care for this child was insufficient and directly related to her death,” he said.

“ ... Although there has been an extended period of time for this investigation police never lost focus and (their) commitment to holding people to justice for the death of this child.

“ ... While nothing can undo the tragic loss of life, we are committed to ensuring justice is served.”

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