Murder charge for Australian mother

Police in the northeastern Australian state of Queensland said the 37-year-old woman had been charged on Sunday with the killings of four girls and four boys, aged from 18 months to 15 years, while she was under guard at a Cairns hospital.

She was reported to be recovering from stab wounds said to be non-life threatening.

"It is simply eight counts of murder, one for each victim," Detective Inspector Bruno Asnicar told waiting reporters.

Asnicar said the five fathers of the children had been informed and that police were investigating whether drug use was involved.

"I want to make clear I'm not dismissing it," he said. "I'm saying that I can't discuss whether it's true or not."

More than 100 witness statements have been taken by the police and the results of the childrens' autopsies are expected to be completed later on Sunday, Asnicar said.

One of the victims was reported to be the woman's neice.

Nation mourns for a second time

The killings came as a second shock for Australia - earlier in the week, a 16-hour long siege at a cafe in Sydney's central business district left three people dead, including the gunman.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott called the events in Cairns "heartbreaking" and acknowledged the "trying days" for the nation.

As services and memorials continued for the victims of the Sydney siege over the weekend, relatives and friends of the children gathered at a makeshift shrine outside their home in the Cairns suburb of Manoora.

Detective Inspector Asnicar said police would release limited information in the forseeable future as the case was now before the courts.

"I would suspect it might be the most tragic event we have had to deal with," he said. "All of the family has been advised (of the charges). This is very raw and it is a very emotive time for everybody. The family is deeply upset but the community is pulling together."

lw/pfd (AFP, Reuters)