A 34-year-old Sunshine Coast woman has been charged with torture following extensive investigations into allegations of a one-year-old girl being poisoned.
Morningside Child Protection and Investigation Unit (CPIU) will allege between 6 August to 15 October, 2024, a woman administered several unauthorised prescription and pharmacy medicines to an infant, who was known to her, without medical approval.
It will be further alleged the woman, disregarding medical advice, went to lengths to obtain unauthorised medicines, including old medicines for a different person available in their home.
Later investigations are alleged to have uncovered the woman carefully concealed her continued efforts to administer the unauthorised medicines until the matter was detected and reported to police by medical staff from a hospital in Brisbane’s south while the child was admitted.
While the child was being subject to immense distress and pain, it is alleged the woman filmed and posted videos of the child.
It is alleged the content produced exploited the child and was used to entice monetary donations and online followers.
On 15 October, 2024, medical staff reported harm against the child to detectives.
Police took immediate action to protect the child while an investigation began.
It will be alleged the testing for unauthorised medicines returned a positive result on 7 January.
Detective Inspector Paul Dalton said offences of this nature are abhorrent and CPIU detectives are committed to protecting children from harm and holding offenders to account.
“Working in CPIU we are too often faced with the worst offences against children,” he said.
“We will do everything in our power to remove that child from harm’s way and hold any offender to account.
“There is no excuse for harming a child, especially not a one-year-old infant who is reliant on others for care and survival.”
On Thursday 16 January, Morningside CPIU detectives travelled to an Underwood address to arrest the woman and subsequently charged her with five counts of administering poison with intent to harm, three counts of preparation to commit crimes with dangerous things, and one count each of torture, making child exploitation material and fraud.
She is expected to appear before Brisbane Magistrates Court on 17 January.
