Two young boys have been killed in the Blue Mountains, with a 42-year-old woman taken to hospital with self-inflicted injuries, NSW police have reported.
Emergency services responded to a call from a man believed to be the children’s father, according to reports, at about 12:40pm on Tuesday.
Police arrived at the home in Faulconbridge, a suburb in the Blue Mountains, to find the boys deceased, believed to have suffered stab wounds. The children were aged 9 and 11.
A 42-year-old woman – the children’s mother, according to reports – was taken to Westmead Hospital in Sydney’s west with self-inflicted stab wounds. She is in a stable condition.
The woman has been arrested and is currently under police guard in hospital, while crime scene investigators and homicide squad investigate the tragedy. Charges are yet to be laid against the woman, and police are not looking for any other persons of interest concerning the deaths of the boys.
NSW Police Superintendent John Nelson addressed the media on Tuesday afternoon, alongside Commissioner Karen Webb.
“This is about as tragic as it gets for any police veteran,” Superintendent Nelson said, adding the Faulconbridge community will be “genuinely shocked” by the incident.
Commissioner Karen Webb also described the children’s death as a “tragic situation”.
“The older and the more experienced you get in this job, things like this still cut to the core,” Commissioner Webb said.
“What is not lost on me is that we’ve got officers here that have got children this age and that’s a normal human reaction that people would be affected when they’ve lost kids around their own children’s age. It’s a tragic situation.”
The woman was reportedly known to police for minor matters but had no family history of domestic and family violence. Authorities are investigating whether a mental health episode may have led to the boys’ deaths.
According to Sherele Moody’s Femicide Watch, the boys from Faulconbridge are sadly the 11th and 12th children killed in Australia this year.
A report from Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety released earlier this year found 138 children had been killed by filicide – the murder of one’s own child – in the last eight years. The report said 106 of those deaths were in a domestic and family violence context.
If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au for online chat and video call services.
If you’re a young person struggling and need someone to talk to, remember that you don’t have to face it alone. Reach out to Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800 for free, confidential support. They’re available 24/7 to listen and help you through whatever you’re going through.
If you are concerned about your behaviour or use of violence, you can contact the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or visit http://www.ntv.org.au.
Feeling worried or no good? No shame, no judgement, safe place to yarn. Speak to a 13YARN Crisis Supporter, call 13 92 76. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.