Police arrest Cairns mother after multiple child murder

Australian police have arrested a 37-year-old woman on suspicion of the murder of eight children in her house.

Seven of the children are believed to be hers, while the eighth is believed to be her niece.

Police say four girls aged 14, 12, 11 and 2 were found dead along with four boys aged 9, 8, 6 and 5.

The woman is recovering in hospital from stab wounds, and is under guard and speaking with police. She has not been charged.

Detective Inspector Bruno Asnicar said the woman was “awake, she’s lucid and able speaking”.

Police have not officially confirmed how the children died, but are examining several knives inside the house that may have been used to kill them.

Australia is still reeling from the Sydney café siege which led to the death of two hostages. But Queensland police said the stabbings were a domestic incident and there was no cause for alarm in the wider community.

Mr Asnicar said forensics teams had finished their investigation and the children’s bodies had been removed from the house.

“They’re looking for DNA, they’re looking for mapping of the scene to see what has occurred,” he said.

The 20-year-old brother of the eight children reportedly returned home near midday on Friday, local time, to discover his dead brothers and sisters.

Neighbours heard screaming and loud noises from the house at about 10am, according to local media.

Emergency services were called at 11.20am local time after reports a woman was seriously injured.

The cousin of the 37-year-old woman, Lisa Thaiday, told AAP the man who arrived home to discover his dead siblings was now with relatives.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott called the events in Cairns “heartbreaking”, and said these were “trying days” for Australia, with the family stabbing coming just days after the 16-hour siege in Sydney.

“All parents would feel a gut-wrenching sadness at what has happened,” Mr Abbott said, reflecting on the Cairns stabbing.

“This is an unspeakable crime.”