Death of Diana Jane Hanbury: Two people arrested over the tragic death of a two-year-old toddler in Mackay more than a year ago
The parents of a toddler who tragically died more than a year ago have been charged in her death.
The couple, a 37-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman from Mackay, were taken to Mackay police station in unmarked cars in handcuffs by plainclothes officers on Wednesday morning.
Police claim they caused the death of their two-year-old daughter, Diana Jane Hanbury, by 'reckless indifference' towards her.
The toddler died at Mackay Base Hospital on December 29, 2022 after being rushed there by her mother and having been ill for days before.
Police at the time labeled the two-year-old's death as suspicious and it became the subject of a 'major police investigation' called Operation Uniform Vauxhall.
The parents of two-year-old Diana Jane Hanbury (pictured) have been charged with murder after she died at Mackay Base Hospital on December 29, 2022.
Chief Inspector Darrin Shadlow said the toddler was “already deceased when she was taken to hospital”.
“Police will allege that the two-year-old child was denied medical intervention by the parents, which subsequently caused the child's death,” he said at a news conference on Wednesday.
“The child had been ill for some time.”
Both parents are expected to appear in the Mackay Magistrates Court on Thursday, each facing a single charge of murder.
The definition of murder in Queensland law was updated in 2019 to add 'reckless indifference'.
The phrase allows a person to be charged with murder if “the person's actions were likely to endanger human life,” even without the intent to kill.
Information provided to police by the public, including neighbors, was “invaluable” to investigators, Detective Inspector Shadlow said.
Investigators spent the days after the death searching her family's home in North Mackay.
Her parents (pictured) were taken to Mackay police station in unmarked cars on Wednesday morning and each charged with a single murder.
Officers from the Mackay Child Protection Unit, Child Trauma Unit and Crime and Intelligence Command also assisted in the investigation.
Queensland Police Inspector Acting Inspector Chris Eaton said the little girl had been unwell in the days leading up to her death.
“Part of our investigation focuses on the days leading up to the child's death, and in particular the care provided to the child during that time,” he said.
Police have released CCTV footage from a supermarket and pharmacy in Andergrove, taken on the day of her death, in February 2023.
The footage shows a woman carrying the child through the shops with a harness on her back.
Police are calling on anyone who saw her there to come forward.
More to come