New twist in crash tragedy after mum's Facebook post emerges
A Queensland woman who died in a car crash that also killed her four children had posted on Facebook that Child Safety officials were investigating the family.
Police are now treating the death of Charmaine Harris McLeod, 35, and her children – Aaleyn, 6, Matilda, 5, Wyatt, 4 and Zaidok, 2 – as a murder-suicide.
The family perished in a head-on collision with a truck near Kingaroy on Monday.
According to The Sunday Mail, Ms McLeod posted in a Facebook group last December she had been struggling with "significant mental health issues" and "now Child Safety are involved".
The death of any child known to the Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women is examined by the independent Child Death Case Review Panel as part of a two-tiered review process.
In a statement to Yahoo News Australia, a department spokesperson said they were “legally prevented from discussing individual child safety cases”.
But the spokesperson did say a review is undertaken if a child known to the child protection system in the previous 12 months dies or suffers a serious injury.
On Friday, News Corp reported police were investigating why there were no skid marks left from Ms McLeod’s car at the crash site.
A note, believed to have been written by the mother, was also reportedly found at the crash site.
Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart was asked why the family had not been added to the road toll.
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He said there were “very different rules” for classifying a traffic crash.
"That's why we now have homicide detectives working on this case, where there is a potential that there is an intention for someone to die," Commissioner Stewart said.
"This will take some time."
With AAP
For support and information about suicide prevention contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
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