A woman whose two grandsons died in a regional town in New South Wales is in a mental health facility after what police are treating as a “confronting” alleged double murder.
The boys, aged six and seven, were found dead by police after officers forced entry to a property at Coonabarabran, in the state’s north-west, during a welfare check about 2pm on Monday.
Their 66-year-old maternal grandmother, who was the boys’ sole carer after they were removed from their parents, was found with self-inflicted injuries and was arrested at the scene.
No weapons were involved in the boys’ deaths, police said at a press conference on Tuesday.
A welfare call made to the communities and justice department triggered the police response but the force would not confirm reports that it had come from the woman.
An assistant police commissioner, Andrew Holland, told reporters on Tuesday afternoon: “There was concerns enough for the young children involved to be placed into the care of their grandmother. That person was deemed suitable by the law to … manage those young people.”
She was initially taken to hospital to be treated for injuries and to undertake a mental health assessment before being transferred to a mental health facility, where she remained on Tuesday afternoon, Holland said.
“A determination will be made by them when she’s released – that could be days, weeks, we’re not sure,” he said.
The parents and the other set of grandparents had been informed of the deaths, Holland said. Asked how they were faring, he replied: “Not well.”
“It’s a confronting tragedy that shouldn’t have occurred,” Holland said. “These things shock small country towns – the death of one child is bad enough. The death of two is just incomprehensible.
“The town needs to band together now and understand that this has happened.”
Holland said one of the officers who had entered the home had returned to work, but a second young officer was “not doing as well” and was being supported by the force.
“The actions of the young police officers involved has been above heroic,” he said.
“They’ve done a fantastic job. They need to be commended for what they did. They need to be supported in the future, and I think that comes from the community.
“What people need to understand is that if people are dealing with mental health issues, they need to make contact, they need to get support, they need to get the proper counselling that they require.”
The circumstances of the boys’ deaths would be determined by pathologists on Thursday, Holland said.
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, said the education department was working closely with the boys’ school to support other students.
“I can imagine that community is going through hell right now,” he said. “We’ll provide all of the resources and help that we can, either through the school or the local community, but I’m heartbroken for them, and I realise this will leave and cast a long shadow.
“What has occurred is terrible and, as a state, we share in the community of Coonabarabran’s grief at the loss of two young boys who had their entire futures ahead of them.”
The state MP for the NSW electorate of Barwon, Roy Butler, said his heart went out to the “small, close community”.
The agricultural town, a six-hour drive north-west of Sydney, has a population of about 3,500 people, including the surrounding area.
“The death of any child is always devastating,” Butler wrote on social media. “In a small, close community, where everyone is connected in some way, it hits the community even harder.”
The Warrumbungle shire councillor Kodi Brady said his heart was “broken alongside the whole community”, describing the boys as “little firecracker kids”.
“They were amongst it all, 100 miles an hour … wild as march hares and cute as buttons!” he wrote. “So devastating for all.”
Strike Force Darnum, assisted by detectives from the state’s homicide squad, is investigating.
– with AAP
