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Australia Cairns: Mother charged with eight murders Australia Cairns: Mother charged with eight murders
(35 minutes later)
Australian authorities have charged a woman in the northern city of Cairns with the murder of seven of her children and her niece.Australian authorities have charged a woman in the northern city of Cairns with the murder of seven of her children and her niece.
Mersane Warria, 37, appeared before a magistrate in hospital where she is being treated under guard for self-inflicted knife wounds, police say. Mersane Warria, 37, was charged while in hospital where she is being treated under guard for self-inflicted knife wounds, police say.
Post-mortems are being carried out to determine the exact cause of the eight victims' deaths.Post-mortems are being carried out to determine the exact cause of the eight victims' deaths.
Those killed were aged between 18 months and 14 years.Those killed were aged between 18 months and 14 years.
Police found a number of weapons at the scene, including knives, which are being examined.
The bodies were reportedly discovered by the mother's 20-year-old son arriving at the home on Friday morning.
Police have dismissed reports the family had been investigated by social services saying it was "not a problem house".
Memorials have sprung up outside the home in the Manoora district of Cairns.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said in a statement it was an "unspeakable crime".
These were "trying days for our country", he added.