Eight children found stabbed to death in Australia; mother in hospital

Emerging news reports said the children, most of whom are said to be brothers and sisters aged between 18 months and 15, were stabbed to death.

Queensland state police said officers were called to the Cairns suburb of Manoora in the morning after they received reports of a woman with serious injuries at the house.

The bodies of the children were found inside the home. The 34-year-old woman was in a stable condition in hospital, Detective Inspector Bruno Asnicar said.

“As it stands at the moment, there’s no need for the public to be concerned about this other than the fact that it’s a tragic, tragic event,” he said. “The situation is well controlled.”

Lisa Thaiday, who said she was the injured woman’s cousin, said the children were all siblings and the woman was their mother.

However, police said the woman in hospital was mother to seven of the eight children.

Ms Thaiday said another sibling, a 20-year-old man, came home and found his brothers and sisters dead inside the house.

“I’m going to see him now, he needs comforting,” she said. “We’re a big family. I just can’t believe it. We just found out (about) those poor babies.”

Dozens of police were on the scene and the street has been sealed off.

“These events are extremely distressing for everyone of course and police officers aren’t immune from that – we’re human beings as well,” Mr Aniscar said.

The tragedy comes as Australia is still reeling from the shock of a deadly siege in a Sydney cafe earlier this week.

On Monday, a gunman stormed into a cafe in the heart of the city and took 18 people inside hostage. Two hostages were killed along with the gunman after police stormed into the cafe 16 hours later in a bid to end the siege.

`The news out of Cairns is heartbreaking,'' prime minister Tony Abbott said.

“All parents would feel a gut-wrenching sadness at what has happened. This is an unspeakable crime. These are trying days for our country.”