NSW Police Force detectives are expected to seek the extradition of a 47-year-old man from Queensland in relation to the death of his nine-month-old daughter, after he allegedly claimed the baby was possessed by demons.
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7 News reports the man made the statement to authorities after her body was discovered on a Surfers Paradise beach in the early hours of Monday morning.
Authorities will allege the baby died south of the Queensland-New South Wales border, and that her body may have been placed in the Tweed River before it washed onto the Surfers Paradise shoreline.
That suspicion means the investigation will be handled by NSW Police, although Queensland Police are assisting in investigations.
Both the man and his 23-year-old partner remain in QLD Police custody, but no charges have yet been laid. It is believed the man will be charged with a warrant after his extradition.
Queensland’s child safety services are understood to have had knowledge of the family, who were homeless and often resided in public parks around Surfers Paradise and Tweed Heads.
Queensland’s Child Safety Minister Di Farmer did not offer a direct comment on the matter, citing privacy concerns.
“Our offices spend every waking hour with the safety of our children as our utmost priority,” Farmer said.
Homeless services operating in the region say they were aware of the family, but had not been in contact with them since late last year.
