By Jamie Freestone, Hannah Murphy and Rebecca Peppiatt
Warning: this story contains distressing details.
A 31-year-old Perth woman has been charged with the murder of her seven-month-old baby.
Homicide squad detectives charged the woman on Tuesday afternoon after the baby was found with critical injuries at a Balcatta home in the early hours of Monday morning.
Police at the scene in Balcatta, where a baby was found dead on Monday morning.Credit: 9News Perth
Paramedics were unable to save the infant, who is understood to have suffered stab wounds.
They had been called to the property on Campion Avenue, Balcatta, about 3am Monday.
On Tuesday, the state’s police commissioner confirmed the death was being treated as a family domestic violence homicide.
Commissioner Col Blanch told reporters on Tuesday morning that the incident police were called to was believed to be “confined to the family”.
“My understanding at this stage, noting that it is early in the investigation, is that the family were present; I think there was a male or female and another young person present,” he said.
“As you can imagine, this is a trauma that no one would ever recover from.”
Detectives remained at the scene throughout Monday and into Tuesday.
“There would be very few cases where you would have a crime scene of such a horrific nature for our officers and all first responders involved,” Blanch said.
“And certainly those officers would be entitled to their critical incident leave, but that’s something that will most likely haunt them for the rest of their careers.
Neighbours heard nothing. Luke, who asked his last name not be used, said he lived near the woman allegedly involved.
“I got a knock on the door at 10 o’clock in the morning, and the police were asking me a few questions,” he told media on Monday.
“It’s awful, something happens on the street you live at … it’s pretty terrible.
“All day the cops have lined up on the street and sectioned [it] off.”
A police spokesperson said family members and residents were helping officers with their investigation.
WA Premier Roger Cook told reporters on Tuesday morning his heart went out to everyone impacted by this “incredibly sad, horrible” death, including the first responders.
The 31-year-old woman is due to appear in Perth Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
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