Police in Australia say a woman was charged with poisoning a young child and posting videos of the resulting suffering on social media to solicit donations.
The victim is described as a one-year-old girl who knew the perpetrator, a 34-year-old woman from the Sunshine Coast. The woman allegedly “administered several unauthorised prescription and pharmacy medicines,” according to a statement from Queensland Police, per CNN.
“It will be further alleged the woman, disregarding medical advice, went to lengths to obtain unauthorised medicines, including old medicines for a different person available in their home,” the statement read.
Law enforcement alleges the woman in question poisoned the infant girl from August 6 to October 15, 2024. It was only when the child was admitted to the hospital that medical staff there ultimately suspected something unusual and notified authorities.
The offender is said to have taken videos of the young girl when she was in “immense distress and pain” before posting the clips online to garner sympathy and, subsequently, donations. According to the Australian network ABC, she amassed tens of thousands of dollars through GoFundMe campaigns.
On January 7, a medical test confirmed the child had unauthorized medicines in her system. The alleged perpetrator was later arrested on January 16 and charged with five counts of administering poison with intent to harm. She is also facing three counts of preparation to commit crimes with dangerous things and a count of torture, one count of making child exploitation material, and one count of fraud.
“We will do everything in our power to remove that child from harm’s way and hold any offender to account… There is no excuse for harming a child, especially not a one-year-old infant who is reliant on others for care and survival,” Detective Inspector Paul Dalton of the Morningside Child Protection and Investigation Unit (CPIU) said in the statement.