A 37-year-old woman charged with murdering seven of her children and her niece in Cairns has been remanded in custody after a court hearing.
People comfort each other at the scene where the eight children were found. Photo: AFP
Raina Mersane Thaiday, who is also known as Mersane Warria, did not attend the hearing as she remains under police guard in Cairns hospital, where she has been since she was found with stab wounds at her Murray Street home on Friday.
The four girls and four boys, aged between two and 14 years, were discovered at a home on Murray Street in the Cairns suburb of Manoora.
It is understood they had all been stabbed to death.
She was not required to appear in the Cairns Magistrates Court this morning, the ABC reports.
Her lawyer, Steve MacFarlane, asked for the matter to be referred to the Mental Health Court but Magistrate Alan Comans refused.
No plea was entered and there was no indication a bail application would be made.
Outside the court, Mr MacFarlane said his client had not yet received an official mental health assessment.
She was remanded in custody and will not be required to appear when the matter returns to court on 30 January.
