A five-year-old boy has died and two young children remain critically injured after their mother allegedly stabbed them in the Blue Mountains.
Police allege the 42-year-old woman stabbed all three of her children, aged five and under, as they sat strapped into their car seats on Waratah Road in Valley Heights on Sunday afternoon.
The children's father had believed his wife had taken the family on a routine picnic while he was at work. Instead, he received a phone call at work informing him that his five-year-old son had died and the rest of his family was fighting for life.
He rushed to hospital to be alongside his two surviving children as medical teams worked to save their lives.
The woman and her two surviving children underwent emergency surgery at Westmead Hospital and The Children's Hospital at Westmead. All three remained in critical condition on Tuesday.
Westmead Hospital and The Children's Hospital at Westmead, located in western Sydney, serve as major tertiary referral and specialized pediatric trauma centers for New South Wales.
Police investigation and crime scene
New South Wales Police Deputy Commissioner Peter McKenna described the scene confronting responding officers on Waratah Road as barbaric.
"When you're using knives, or edged weapons.. it's actually quite barbaric," McKenna said. "People cut people, it's actually very confronting. Whenever there are children, it doesn't get worse than that."
The New South Wales Police Force is the primary law enforcement agency for the state, with homicide detectives leading investigations into violent crimes.
Detectives plan to interview the mother if she recovers from her injuries. Police expect to consider a homicide charge against her.
Police confirmed the family has no existing links to the Blue Mountains and had not been previously known to law enforcement officers. Investigators will allege the mother's injuries were self-inflicted.
Bystanders stop to render aid
The family was discovered after two cyclists and a passing motorist stopped on Waratah Road after spotting a white four-wheel drive parked on a vacant block with its doors open.
Local resident Julie Sukkar, who lives metres from the scene, said she initially assumed the commotion outside her front door was a traffic accident.
"One of the children, a little girl, a baby, had a beautiful pink and white flower dress on," Ms Sukkar said. "I noticed that as they pulled her out of her car seat."
Ms Sukkar saw the mother lying in nearby bushes, yelling, screaming and thrashing about while suffering severe injuries and covered in blood.
Inside the vehicle, the three children remained eerily silent, motionless, and quiet while strangers frantically attempted to assist them.
"The children were quiet. They were not screaming or crying. They were not moving. That was hard to see. The police and the ambulance were here fast, and they did such a good job," Ms Sukkar said.
Police initially handcuffed the mother at the scene before removing the restraints as paramedics loaded her onto a stretcher and into an ambulance after realizing she posed no threat.
Community support and crisis resources
Ms Sukkar praised the swift actions of the three strangers who stopped, noting that the two surviving children probably would not have survived without their help.
Despite witnessing the traumatic aftermath, Ms Sukkar expressed sympathy for the family and cautioned against early judgment regarding the mother's mental health.
"I felt really sad for her and for the kids as well," Ms Sukkar said. "To be in that state of mind, I couldn't even imagine it. I think people can point the finger a little too early before they know what's happened. If you haven't been through mental illness, you wouldn't understand it."
The father is receiving support from Sydney's Kenyan community, and the Kenyan consulate confirmed it is assisting the family.
Valley Heights is a quiet residential township situated in the lower Blue Mountains, a region located roughly 70 kilometres west of central Sydney.
Support is available for anyone impacted by these events. Lifeline can be contacted on 13 11 14, and Beyond Blue is available on 1300 22 4636.
