Three-year-old boy stabbed to death in Adelaide

LATEST: A FATHER has been charged with the murder of his three-year-old son. The child was found with stab wounds in his father’s ute.

A THREE-YEAR-OLD boy is dead and his father has been charged with murder after a stabbing in suburban Adelaide this morning.

The boy suffered numerous stab wounds and, despite frantic efforts by ambulance crews and medical staff at Adelaide Women’s and Children’s Hospital, he died from his injuries.

Gorge Road #Athelstone remains closed as #police investigate the serious assault of a young boy pic.twitter.com/8LiIfrIoaM

— SA Police News (@SAPoliceNews) July 8, 2014

Emergency crews were responding to an accident on Gorge Road, at the intersection of Hockley Terrace at Athelstone, about 9am when another car with the injured boy flagged down police, The Advertiser reported.

South Australian Police confirmed they were approached by a man and shortly after found the seriously injured boy.

The father, a 36-year-old Stepney man, was taken to Royal Adelaide Hospital with a neck wound that was possibly self-inflicted.

Detectives won’t be able to speak with him until Wednesday evening at the earliest due to him having surgery on the wound.

But Superintendent Graeme Adcock, the police officer in charge of eastern Adelaide, confirmed he had been charged with murder.

He told The Advertiser: “Understandably the boy’s mother is overcome by grief and police have not yet been able to take a statement from her.”

“At this stage of the investigation there is no indication of any history of domestic violence.”

The investigation was at an early stage so he couldn’t say if mental health issues had led to the tragedy.

Supt Adcock believed the boy was stabbed in the ute.

The tragedy unfolded early today when the boy’s mother called police about 8:25am to say her son had been taken by his father from their house at Stepney, where the family all lived.

She told them she had concerns for her son’s welfare.

So deeply saddened to hear of the events in Athelstone this morning. I drove by that spot not even an hour before. There are no words

— Chelsey Gardner (@Chucky_Gardner) July 8, 2014

Speaking to reporters at the scene, Inspector Seamus McDaid said the incident was tragic and their sympathies went out to the family of the boy.

He could not say whether the family were known to police but the state’s child protection agency, Familes SA, told The Advertiser they hadn’t had any contact with the family.

Police have removed the black ute from the scene but have appealed for anyone who saw it to contact them.

Inspector McDaid said it had been a traumatic scene.

“Anything to do with a young child is really tragic for everybody involved, both for the family and the witnesses who were on the scene and of course the police and ambulance officers who had to deal with this situation.”

Forensic investigators examine the ute of a man who allegedly stabbed his son, 3, to death via @theTiser pic.twitter.com/pgqWcx1KoU

— Steve Rice (@SteveRice_Tiser) July 8, 2014

SA Police say a four year-old boy has died after being stabbed at Athelstone. #Adelaide http://t.co/tl9YHK9Su4 pic.twitter.com/VQhN7ufL8t

— Greg Barila (@GregBarila) July 8, 2014

This poor boy in athelstone 😥 terrible news.

— Steven Savino (@StevenSavino) July 8, 2014

This is the scene at #Athelstone, where a 3 & a 1/2 yr old boy was found with stab wounds in the black car. Boy died. pic.twitter.com/1F4TyoXstF

— FIVEaa News Director (@MatthewPantelis) July 8, 2014

Authorities arrive at the scene.