New South Wales police have revealed that a six-year-old girl may have been deliberately thrown into the Parramatta River by her father in what is believed to be a horrific act of domestic violence. The bodies of the father and daughter were recovered from the water on Saturday, and a suicide note has since been located.
Police Investigation Uncovers Disturbing Evidence
NSW police marine area commander Superintendent Joe McNulty stated that officers have uncovered a suicide note and other evidence leading them to conclude that the girl's death was not accidental. “We have uncovered a suicide note and some other evidence drawing us to this conclusion,” he told 2GB radio on Monday.
Officers were initially called to Hen and Chicken Bay at Concord, in Sydney’s inner west, at approximately 11:45 am on Saturday after reports of a man’s body floating in the water. A boat owned by a member of the public was used by police to retrieve the 47-year-old man, but attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.
Reports that a young girl had also been present prompted a widespread search that lasted several hours before her body was also recovered from the water. Police used CCTV images of the incident from a nearby home to help divers locate the girl’s body.
Lifejackets on Board but Unused
Superintendent McNulty noted that officers were immediately suspicious because lifejackets were found on the boat but had not been used. “It just didn’t stack up,” he said. The man was not known to police and had no recorded history of domestic violence, leaving investigators with the difficult task of understanding what occurred. “We really need to make sense of this, because it is a complex investigation,” McNulty added.
Support for the Mother and Family
The girl’s mother was notified and present during the search for her daughter. “At this stage it’s horrible, but we’re wrapping so much care around the victim and the mother that’s been left behind,” McNulty said. Superintendent Christine McDonald from Burwood police command described the situation as devastating, stating, “Obviously, a mother in this situation … it would rock any mother to the core.” The girl was the couple’s only child.
A friend of the man had contacted police an hour after his body was located, expressing concerns for the father and daughter’s welfare.
In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is available at 13 11 14, and the national family violence counselling service can be reached at 1800 737 732. In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, and the domestic abuse helpline is 0808 2000 247. In the US, the suicide prevention lifeline is 988, and the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org.
