A 31-year-old man has been taken into custody by the Australian police and charged with murder of a nine-year-old girl after her body was discovered near the Blue Mountains on Tuesday 18 January.
The name of the girl can no longer be identified due to a charge being laid.
The body of the girl was discovered after a five-day search, after she was last seen in the Blue Mountains on a holiday with her family.
According to police reports, the body was found dumped in a barrel near the Colo River in the Blue Mountains.
“We found the human remains consistent with the missing girl … until the post-mortem is conducted, we are still uncertain of what exactly happened to her,” NSW Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson said during a media conference.
The police arrested the man on Tuesday night at a property in Sydney’s Surry Hills. The police believe he acted alone in the alleged murder of the girl.
Speaking to the court, the man’s lawyer said requested a full health assessment, claiming the man suffered from “long term” mental health problems
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was “devasted” to hear the news of the missing girl, after he was informed during a press conference of Wednesday morning.
“I can’t imagine the grief the family are going through, my thoughts and prayers are with them at this terrible time,” he said.
“I also thank all those who have been providing the family with support over these extraordinarily difficult days, including NSW Police and the search and investigation teams.”