‘Incredibly confronting’: Dad found daughter allegedly murdered by mum

A Gold Coast father found the body of his 10-year-old daughter at home before police charged her mother with murder.

The 46-year-old woman, Yingying Xu, was arrested in a street near their Carrara home on Tuesday night and taken into custody.

Gold Coast schoolgirl Sophie Wang, 10, was found dead in her home at Carrara.

Sophie Wang, 10, was found by her father in their unit at Central Place, Emerald Lakes, earlier that day. The distraught man called emergency services at 6.08pm, but his daughter was declared dead at the scene.

Sophie’s mother was arrested in a nearby street at 10.25pm, as word spread through the tight-knit community, and the girl’s school, about the death.

Xu was not required to appear in court in person on Wednesday and the case was adjourned to November 29. The prosecutor initially attempted to have the details of the case suppressed, with the support of Xu’s lawyer, but the application was withdrawn.

Forensic officers were still examining the unit on Wednesday and police would not confirm that the girl’s throat had been slashed.

“The scene was incredibly confronting,” Detective Acting Inspector Kent Ellis said on Wednesday. “In my 15-year career as a detective, it’s one of the most confronting scenes I have seen.

“Police conducted an excellent and efficient investigation under extremely difficult circumstances, which led to the quick arrest …

“Our investigation is ongoing, and we’re committed to ensuring justice is achieved for this 10-year-old victim.”

Sophie was a year 5 student at nearby Emmanuel College. In a statement, the college said the school community was “devastated by the tragic passing of one of our students at a home within Emerald Lakes last night”.

Ellis declined to answer questions from the media about when Sophie was believed to have died, reports a lake was searched for the alleged murder weapon, and the mental health of the accused.

“As the matter is before the court, it would be inappropriate to comment,” he said repeatedly.

The home will remain a crime scene until further notice.

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