New South Wales police have revealed that a suicide note was discovered after the bodies of a six-year-old girl and her father were recovered from the Parramatta River on Saturday. Authorities believe the man may have deliberately thrown his daughter from a hired boat in what is suspected to be a horrific act of domestic violence.
Police Investigation Uncovers Disturbing Evidence
Superintendent Joe McNulty, NSW police marine area commander, told 2GB radio on Monday that a suicide note and other evidence have led investigators to this conclusion. Officers were called to Hen and Chicken Bay at Concord, in Sydney's inner west, at approximately 11:45 am after reports of a man's body floating in the water.
A boat owned by a member of the public was used by police to retrieve the 47-year-old man, but he could not be revived. Reports that a young girl had also been present prompted a widespread search that lasted several hours before her body was also recovered from the water. Police used CCTV images from a nearby home to assist divers in locating the girl's body.
No Prior History of Domestic Violence
The man was not known to police and had no recorded history of domestic violence, leaving authorities with the difficult task of unraveling what occurred. "We really need to make sense of this, because it is a complex investigation," McNulty said. He noted that officers were immediately suspicious because lifejackets were on board the boat but had not been used. "It just didn't stack up," he added.
Support for the Grieving Mother
The girl's mother was notified and present during the search for her daughter. "At this stage it's horrible, but we're wrapping so much care around the victim and the mother that's been left behind," McNulty said. Superintendent Christine McDonald from Burwood police command told media on Saturday that the girl is the couple's only child. "Obviously, a mother in this situation … it would rock any mother to the core," she said.
A friend of the man had contacted police an hour after his body was located with concerns for the father and daughter's welfare, police reported.
In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123 and the domestic abuse helpline is 0808 2000 247. In the US, the suicide prevention lifeline is 988 and the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org.
