A baby found dead in suspicious circumstances in country Victoria had reportedly been handed back to her biological parents just three days earlier.
uncertain
baby → find → parents
Emergency services were called to a property in Redan, just south of Ballarat, on September 21 where an eight-month-old baby was found unresponsive.
Paramedics attempted to revive the child, performing CPR before taking her to a hospital in Ballarat just after 1pm.
asserted
Paramedics → call → 1
She was then rushed to a Melbourne hospital where she died two days later.
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she → rush → hospital
Homicide squad detectives later interviewed a 23-year-old man who was released 'pending further inquiries'.
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who → interview → inquiries
It can now be revealed the baby girl had been placed with foster parents within weeks of her birth and was handed back to her biological parents by authorities three days before her suspicious death.
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girl → reveal → death
The foster parents were packing up their car to make the trip to Redan to visit her when they were told Mia - not her real name - had died.
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Mia → pack → her
'Our daughter is gone.
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daughter → go → ?
We spent more time with her than any other person on the planet,' the foster father told the ABC.
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father → spend → ABC
'I just never for one second wanted her to ever think that we abandoned her because even in the last moments, the laws took that away from us.'
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laws → want → us
A couple were seen leaving the home where a baby was found unresponsive and died two days later.
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baby → see → home
A woman believed to be the child's mother was seen holding the teddy bear
The foster parents said the baby came into their care as a newborn.
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baby → believe → newborn
'She was three weeks old when she came to us,' foster dad Michael - not his real name - said.
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Michael → come → us
Medical notes reportedly seen by the ABC noted the newborn baby had signs of traumatic injury, including bruising.
uncertain
baby → see → bruising
But her condition dramatically improved upon going into foster care.
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condition → improve → care
'She became the happiest little baby, she just glowed,' Michael said.
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Michael → become → ?
'You'd walk into a room, she'd look at you and her face would just light up.'
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face → walk → you
Last week, Daily Mail saw plain-clothed detectives visit the home before promptly leaving.
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detectives → see → home
A woman believed to be the infant's mum was seen at the door holding a child's teddy bear before leaving soon after accompanied by another man.
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mum → believe → man
Daily Mail saw detectives leaving the home days after the baby was rushed to hospital
Neighbours told the Daily Mail the couple pictured had lived at the rented three-bedroom bungalow for under a year and had rarely been seen outside.
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couple → see → year
One neighbour stressed that the man pictured with the woman at the home travelled with the child to hospital, and did not leave with police when the tragedy unfolded.
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tragedy → stress → police
It is not suggested that either the man or the woman seen at the house are in any way suspected of any involvement in the death.
uncertain
man → suggest → death
Neighbours said they knew little about the family at the $400-a-week home and said they had been an enigma in the close-knit street.
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they → say → street
'I don't think I've ever seen them,' one neighbour said.
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neighbour → think → them
'I know most of the neighbourhood but I've never seen those two.'
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I → know → two
Another added: 'I didn't even know they had a baby or anything.
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they → add → baby
For at least six months of the time the couple were living at the address, the baby was being raised elsewhere by her foster parents.
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baby → live → parents
Under an Interim Accommodation Order with Child Protection, the baby would spend up to four hours, five days a week with her biological parents, as part of supervised visitation.
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baby → spend → visitation
The couple declined to comment when approached by the Daily Mail
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Mail → launch → podcast
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The foster parents said during that time, court dates aimed at determining future arrangements for the infant were constantly adjourned.
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dates → gain → infant
'We found out eventually that the report they were waiting for was the report from the investigation into her original injury,' the infant's foster mum said.
'
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mum → find → injury
We have found out that report was inconclusive.'
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report → find → ?
The couple said the magistrate wanted the child to be sent back to her biological parents.
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child → say → parents
The court reportedly ordered Tweddle, a state-wide early parenting centre, to assess whether the biological parents were capable of caring for the baby.
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parents → order → baby
It involved two rounds of a ten-day residential parenting course supporting families engaged with Victoria's Department of Families, Fairness and Housing.
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It → involve → Families
The ABC reported both parents were understood to have been approved.
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parents → report → ?
The Daily Mail has contacted Tweddle and DFFH for comment.
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Mail → contact → comment
The couple living at the home declined to comment when approached by the Daily Mail.
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couple → live → Mail
A Victoria Police spokesperson told Daily Mail on Thursday that the baby's death was still under investigation.
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death → tell → investigation
The Aporia
