A girl of six years old passed away shortly after being removed from her home in Adelaide.
The local police are examining the circumstances surrounding her death as a possible instance of criminal neglect.
The girl, who has only been given the name Charlie, was discovered by emergency medical personnel on Friday morning in a state of unresponsiveness.
She was transferred to Lyell McEwin Hospital, but she passed away shortly after being brought there.
The current situation has been labelled a “major crime,” and a special task force dedicated to criminal investigations has been established.
The maximum penalty for this offence is life in jail without the possibility of parole.
According to 7News, the girl suffered from “multiple health conditions”.
She resided with her mother in a house in the neighbourhood of Munno Para, northern Adelaide.
Ms Williams has also confirmed that five additional siblings have been removed from the family and that partner organisations are working to ensure they are safe.
It is believed that the ages of the other children are eight, 10, 13, 14, and 15 years old, with the other sibling being 29 years old.
Regarding the other children, an enquiry has been opened with the possibility of filing criminal neglect charges.
It is common knowledge that several government services, such as the South Australian Police, have previously communicated with the family in question.
According to Ms Williams, the investigators are striving to comprehend these interactions’ dynamics.
According to statements made to ABC by individuals familiar with the family, “several” reports had been made to the Department of Child Protection regarding the mother due to worries regarding the safety and wellbeing of her children.
The Adelaide Advertiser reports that the child may have died from “suspected malnutrition.”
The police is questioning the children’s diet and whether they consumed excessive amounts of “junk food.”
There will be a “simultaneous and comprehensive coronial investigation that will focus on the cause and circumstances of the child’s death,” according to a statement released by the police.