logo
‘She needed help': Family says Perth baby's death was preventable

‘She needed help': Family says Perth baby's death was preventable

News.com.au3 days ago
Relatives of a baby who died after allegedly being stabbed to death by his mother say more could have been done to help the family.
Jacinta Beth Sells, 31, is charged with murdering her seven-month-old son early on Monday morning in what police allege is a domestic violence homicide.
Paramedics were unable to save the infant, who was allegedly found with stab wounds.
Police confirmed other family members were present at the time, including a 13-year-old girl who called the police.
A spokeswoman for Ms Sells' family told The West that Ms Sells had been regularly visited by the Department of Communities, including just a few days before the alleged murder.
'We met with the Department of Communities yesterday and we told them we were disappointed that they failed,' the family spokeswoman said.
'We affirmed our disappointment in the prior management and support. They visited her on the Thursday or Friday. We asked for the case notes from the visit, and they couldn't produce any.
'She (Jacinta) was doing the best she could in circumstances that most people couldn't imagine – she needed help and was never given the support that she deserved.'
The spokeswoman said Ms Sells had recently been struggling with parenting difficulties.
WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said the family had been 'deeply affected' by the baby's death.
'This is a trauma that no one will ever recover from, the family are deeply affected,' he said.
'There would be very few cases where you would have a crime scene of such a horrific nature for our officers and for first responders involved.'
WA Premier Roger Cook described the incident as 'incredibly sad and horrible stuff'.
'Our hearts go out to everyone involved in that,' he said.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Queensland road toll climbs to 158 after 10 people killed in horror weekend
Queensland road toll climbs to 158 after 10 people killed in horror weekend

ABC News

time40 minutes ago

  • ABC News

Queensland road toll climbs to 158 after 10 people killed in horror weekend

Ten people have died in five fatal road crashes across Queensland since Friday night, prompting a warning from the state's peak motoring body of a worsening road toll. The recent tragedies take Queensland's road toll to 158 so far this year, with fears 2025 could end up surpassing last year's total of 302, which was the highest in 15 years. Three of the five fatal crashes over the weekend were in central Queensland. On Sunday morning, emergency services were called to the Capricorn Highway, between Comet and Blackwater, in the Central Highlands, as two vehicles had crashed and caught fire. Four people died at the scene and two men in their 20s are in a serious condition in Brisbane and Emerald hospitals. In the Mackay region, three teenagers died after a head-on collision on the Mackay Ring Road in Glenella on Friday night. The driver, aged 29, was taken to Mackay Base Hospital in a serious condition. On Saturday morning, a 45-year-old motorcyclist died after he crashed into a ute and trailer stopped in front of him at Mount Pleasant, in Mackay. Further south, an 18-year-old Kingaroy man died in Hivesville, in the South Burnett region, on Sunday morning when he was struck by a vehicle while lying on the road, police say. On Friday night, emergency services were called to Tamborine, in the Scenic Rim, to reports a man had fallen out of a car. A 26-year-old man sustained critical injuries and died at the scene. There have been 158 fatalities from Queensland road crashes so far this year. Michael Kane, head of public policy for Queensland's peak motoring body RACQ, said the latest tragedies meant the state was heading towards equalling or exceeding last year's road toll. There were 302 road crash fatalities in 2024 in Queensland — the highest in 15 years. "So many lives have been lost and so many other lives have been terribly impacted," Dr Kane said. Dr Kane said the growing road toll showed we had a lot of work to do as a community to turn it around. "There is no reason why we should accept a worsening road toll for a number of years; it was getting better," he said. Dr Kane said while there was a need for safer roads and better maintenance, particularly in regional areas, there also needed to be a focus on safer road culture. "We are driving at high speeds, we think our cars are cocoons, but if we crash at a high speed or if we're doing the wrong thing in the way we drive, we can change and lose our life… or cause the loss of life of someone else as a random person or someone we love," he said. RACQ is also calling for better traffic policing, following survey results which showed the public thought there wasn't enough police presence on the roads. Dr Kane said there had been a decline in the statistics of random roadside breath and drug testing since 2023. "We have seen in the last 12 months that start to change and the Queensland government has had a focus on getting more police into the police force and getting more random breath and drug tests, but that needs to step up," he said. "But these changes can't be made overnight."

Man, two kids in home targeted by armed trio in home invasion
Man, two kids in home targeted by armed trio in home invasion

News.com.au

timean hour ago

  • News.com.au

Man, two kids in home targeted by armed trio in home invasion

A group of men armed with a gun have stormed a home in Sydney's southwest, assaulting one of its occupants while two children were also inside. The home on Ardennes Ave at Edmonson Park was targeted at about 1.45am on Monday. Police say the three armed men forced their way into the home, then threatened and assaulted a 48-year-old man and a 12-year-old boy. 'An 11-year-old boy was also inside the house at the time … The two children were uninjured,' NSW Police said in a statement. The intruders stole several items, including jewellery, and fled in an unknown vehicle. The 48-year-old man was treated at the scene by paramedics for facial injuries. The two children were not physically injured. Police have set up a crime scene at the house.

‘Devastating': Tragedy as Year 12 student at Sydney private school killed in crash near family's home
‘Devastating': Tragedy as Year 12 student at Sydney private school killed in crash near family's home

News.com.au

timean hour ago

  • News.com.au

‘Devastating': Tragedy as Year 12 student at Sydney private school killed in crash near family's home

A Year 12 student and rower at one of Sydney's most exclusive private schools has died in a horrific car crash near his family's home. Stirling Heriot, 17, was killed in a crash near his family's remote property at Quambone, 200km north of Dubbo, New South Wales, on Friday night. Emergency services were called to Quambone Road at 6.45pm following reports of an accident and found a teenage driver dead at the scene. Police said the vehicle had 'left the roadway and rolled'. In a statement on social media, The King's School in Parramatta, in Sydney's west, paid tribute to the teenager, who was known for his 'generosity' and comittment to the school's rowing team. 'Stirling was widely admired for his kindness, generosity and willingness to engage warmly with those around him,' the independent Anglican school, which charges boarding students upwards of $80,000 a year, wrote on Facebook. 'A dedicated contributor to school life, he was a committed member of the 2nd IV in Rowing and had previously been involved in Rugby and Cadets. The school said the teenager was 'proudly building a tandem-axle multipurpose farm trailer intended for use on the family property as his major project' before he passed. 'His loss will be deeply felt by his family, his friends, the Baker Hake boarding community, his Year 12 peers, and many others across the School who had the privilege of knowing and teaching him. 'As we navigate this difficult time, our focus will be on supporting one another, especially our students,' it added. 'Please keep the Heriot family in your prayers during this profoundly painful time.' Many online paid tribute to the 'kind' and 'gentle' teenager whose life was tragically cut short 'too soon'. 'This young boy brought joy, light, and laughter to those around him. In his short time here, he left a mark that time will not erase. His spirit was gentle, his smile unforgettable,' one person wrote. 'So incredibly tragic! My heart is broken for the family. Sending all my love and thoughts to the Heriot family and all his friends,' said another. 'So devastating such a young boy lost to soon,' another wrote. Year 12 students in NSW are due to sit HSC exams in under three months.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store