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| Melbourne mother helping homicide investigation after driving car into lake | Melbourne mother helping homicide investigation after driving car into lake |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A mother of seven was helping the homicide squad investigate the deaths of three of her children on Thursday, after she drove into a Melbourne lake, also critically injuring one of her daughters. | A mother of seven was helping the homicide squad investigate the deaths of three of her children on Thursday, after she drove into a Melbourne lake, also critically injuring one of her daughters. |
| Superintendent Stuart Bateson said police needed help to understand how the 35-year-old woman drove off Manor Lakes Boulevard at Wyndham Vale in Melbourne’s west, over a footpath, through shrubbery and into the lake on Wednesday afternoon. | Superintendent Stuart Bateson said police needed help to understand how the 35-year-old woman drove off Manor Lakes Boulevard at Wyndham Vale in Melbourne’s west, over a footpath, through shrubbery and into the lake on Wednesday afternoon. |
| “I can confirm that she is the mum of the four kids,” Bateson told reporters on Thursday at the lakeside. | “I can confirm that she is the mum of the four kids,” Bateson told reporters on Thursday at the lakeside. |
| The woman is of Sudanese origin and Bateson urged the local Sudanese community to help police understand what happened and what was going on in the family’s lives. | The woman is of Sudanese origin and Bateson urged the local Sudanese community to help police understand what happened and what was going on in the family’s lives. |
| “We understand that there may be some social, cultural and religious implications impacting on the community, but let me reassure you that we will remain respectful of those issues at all times.” | “We understand that there may be some social, cultural and religious implications impacting on the community, but let me reassure you that we will remain respectful of those issues at all times.” |
| Police still did not know if the woman was speeding. | Police still did not know if the woman was speeding. |
| “She’s currently assisting the homicide squad as we speak,” he said. “We have got our best people on the job and we think we may well, hopefully, lead to a greater understanding of what led to this ... horrible incident.” | “She’s currently assisting the homicide squad as we speak,” he said. “We have got our best people on the job and we think we may well, hopefully, lead to a greater understanding of what led to this ... horrible incident.” |
| Despite lengthy attempts to resuscitate the four children, one died at the lake, a second in an ambulance and the third in hospital. | Despite lengthy attempts to resuscitate the four children, one died at the lake, a second in an ambulance and the third in hospital. |
| They were a one-year-old boy and four-year-old twins, a girl and a boy. | They were a one-year-old boy and four-year-old twins, a girl and a boy. |
| Their five-year-old sister is critically ill in the Royal Children’s hospital. | |
| A cousin of the children’s father, who spent the night at the hospital, said family members remained hopeful the girl would pull through, but were devastated by the deaths of her siblings. | A cousin of the children’s father, who spent the night at the hospital, said family members remained hopeful the girl would pull through, but were devastated by the deaths of her siblings. |
| They knew people from the Wyndham Vale community were laying flowers at a makeshift memorial. | They knew people from the Wyndham Vale community were laying flowers at a makeshift memorial. |
| “We feel like people care, it’s nice,” the cousin told reporters on Thursday. “It’s shocked everyone.” | “We feel like people care, it’s nice,” the cousin told reporters on Thursday. “It’s shocked everyone.” |
| The children’s mother was taken to hospital under police guard after the tragedy before being released overnight into police custody. . | The children’s mother was taken to hospital under police guard after the tragedy before being released overnight into police custody. . |
| The car, half-submerged with its doors open and some windows smashed, was expected to be pulled from Lake Gladman on Thursday. | The car, half-submerged with its doors open and some windows smashed, was expected to be pulled from Lake Gladman on Thursday. |