The parents of a nine-month-old girl found lifeless on the beach at Surfers Paradise were homeless and raising their family on the streets.
The infant was found unresponsive on the edge of the surf near Staghorn Ave about 12.30am on Monday.
Despite desperate attempts, police and paramedics were were unable to revive her.
The girl’s 48-year-old father and 23-year-old mother are being questioned in police custody after being found about five kilometres away in Broadbeach.
Police confirmed the couple are known to them and do not have a fixed address.
The family has been living in parks and seeking shelter from Tweed Heads to Surfers Paradise. The girl had not been reported missing before her body was found.
Detective Inspector Marc Hogan said the scene was traumatic for everyone involved.
“This is a very tragic event. It’s a very sad situation,” he said.
“It will impact a lot of people.”
Insp Hogan said it appeared the girl had been in the water, but there were no obvious wounds or injuries.
“Not that I could see,” he said.
A passer-by found the child’s body at the edge of the surf and raised the alarm but police say paramedics never stood any chance of reviving her.
Insp Hogan described the beach where the girl was found as “not your typical crime scene”.
He said a ground and air search had yielded little evidence, with the lack of physical evidence giving “some indication of what may have happened” – a suggestion the child may have drowned.
Homicide detectives from Queensland and NSW police are involved in the investigation.
NSW officers have been brought in to pin down potential movements of the couple between Tweed Heads, on the NSW side of the Queensland/NSW border, and Surfers Paradise.
Insp Hogan said they had been staying on the Gold Coast but did not say for how long.
The baby was found less than a kilometre from the main party precinct for schoolies revellers.
But police have ruled out any connection to the end of high school celebrations, and it wasn’t a school leaver who found the child.
Detectives are checking CCTV footage in the hope the couple and child may have been caught on camera.
A post-mortem examination will be conducted on Monday.
Top Comments
I think there should be something in place where babies can be left, no questions asked.
Fire departments, churches , police stations.
If this was made known maybe these little souls would be safe.
This situation is sad beyond belief.
I believe there is also a 2 year old boy from the family that has been placed with home services.
I have no idea what these people have been going through.
Could not even know what it would be like to care for babies in a tent.
However apparently they had been reported, to police????
Obviously they did nothing.!!!!
These parents need to be held accountable.
However the police also need to be held accountable for not following up on these reports.
I suggest 1. More intelligent people should be recruited to the police force..I find most of the police would fit into the nazi regime, no thinking, no compassion, no conscience.
However this isn't totally about the unthinking police.
2. I also believe parents that are so obviously inadequate should be given rehabilitation, however they should never be able to have children again.
Women and men should be sterilised...
If you have killed a child you should never be given the prilevge of having another.
I agree completely, Janet. Our so-called 'child safety' department (which I am sure is understaffed and underfunded) have been dropping the ball for far too long, and failing the kids who need them. This precious little angel, Tiahleigh Palmer, the 13-year old friend of my niece who has been staying with my sister because her drug-addled, jailbird parents no longer want her, to name but a few.
I longed, wished and hoped for my child. I will love protect him at all costs. I would die for my child, as any true parent would for theirs.
I think it is also time that some sort of licensing system should be introduced for having children so that they are born into families who truly want them and will love and care for them unconditionally, and that the parents are mentally sound and capable of proper parenting for these children.
One child's death is too many. The parents and the system who failed these children need to be held to account.