An Australian social media influencer has been charged with poisoning a baby girl.
She allegedly posted videos of the infant in “immense distress” to get donations and boost her followers.
The 34-year-old mother from Queensland, who has not been named, claimed she was documenting the child’s battle against a terminal illness.
Police alleged she gave the one-year-old “several unauthorised prescription and pharmacy medications” between August and October last year.
The woman disregarded medical advice and went to great lengths to obtain the medications, which included using prescriptions given to another person in the home, police said.
She then filmed and published videos of the child in “immense distress and pain” online, police alleged.
Credit: Queensland Police
Australian media described the woman as a “high-profile” influencer and reported that she posted the alleged abuse on TikTok.
Doctors raised the alarm on Oct 15 when the baby was admitted to a Brisbane hospital after suffering a serious medical episode.
Queensland Police said it launched an investigation and took immediate action to protect the child.
Tests for unauthorised medicines came back positive in January, police said.
Following the investigation, the woman was arrested in Logan on Thursday by a child protection unit and charged with torture, five counts of administering poison with intent to harm, making child exploitation material and fraud.
A video of the arrest showed the woman, wearing pink underclothes, with her head in her hands before officers led her away in handcuffs.
Australian media reported that the infant was the woman’s baby.
‘There is no excuse’
“[There are] no words for how repulsive [alleged] offences of this nature are,” Queensland Police Det Insp Paul Dalton told reporters on Thursday.
“There is no excuse for harming a child, especially not a one-year-old infant who is reliant on others for care and survival,” Mr Dalton said.
“We are too often faced with the worst offences against children.
“We will do everything in our power to remove that child from harm’s way and hold any offender to account.”
Donors were allegedly swindled out of A$60,000 (£30,500) via donation website GoFundMe.
The website is attempting to repay the funds, Mr Dalton said.
The woman is expected to appear before Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday.