Family member charged with manslaughter over 2023 death of four-week-old baby
A family member charged with manslaughter more than a year after the 'abhorrent' death of a four-week-old baby has been granted bail.
Police arrested a 26-year-old man on Friday morning over the July 2023 death of the boy in Wagga Wagga, NSW.
The man, who police said was a family member, brought the baby to Wagga Wagga Base Hospital suffering a critical illness along with other injuries that were allegedly deliberately inflicted.
Those injuries included multiple broken bones, police said.
The infant died three days later at the Sydney Children's Hospital.
The man was granted bail on a $10,000 surety after facing Albury Local Court charged with manslaughter on Friday.
He is next due before Wagga Wagga Local Court in July.
Detective Inspector Peter Owen said the death had profoundly impacted those in the southern NSW community.
'All of these matters, including this, deeply impact the people who are associated, whether they be teachers, health workers, police, the extended family and community members,' he told reporters on Friday.
'The death of an infant is tragic — where there are suspected inflicted injuries, it's another level that is abhorrent to people.'
The man was arrested in Albury on the NSW-Victorian border and charged with domestic violence-related manslaughter.
He was visiting other children when arrested, Det Insp Owen said.
He was not adversely known to police before the incident.
Police declined to confirm whether the suspect was the deceased infant's father.
The years-long investigation into the death involved assistance from the secretive NSW Crime Commission.
'It's coming up to two years of consistent, dedicated work from a small team of regional detectives,' Det Insp Owen said.
'The dedication and devotion to this job is an absolute credit to those detectives.'
The baby is survived by two siblings, police said.
If you need help in a crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
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