A woman has been charged with torture after she allegedly gave prescription medicines to a one-year-old girl without medical approval for months.
Police allege the 34-year-old gave the child, who is known to her, unauthorised prescription and pharmacy medicines between August and October 2024.
The woman allegedly disregarded medical advice and went to lengths to get unauthorised medicines to give to the child, including old medications for a different person that were available at the house.
The woman filmed and posted videos to social media of the child while she was in “immense distress and pain,” police say.
The videos were allegedly used to entice monetary donations and increase online followers.
Police say she concealed her efforts to give the child medicine until it was reported to police by hospital staff in Brisbane’s south when the little girl was admitted in October.
After officers were alerted to the allegations, they tested the child for unauthorised medication which returned a positive result on Jan. 7.
Detectives went to an Underwood home, southeast of Brisbane, and arrested the woman on Thursday.
She has been charged with five counts of administering poison with intent to harm, three counts of preparation to commit crimes with dangerous things, and one count each of torture, making child exploitation material and fraud.
The 34-year-old will face Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday.
Detective Inspector Paul Dalton called the offences “abhorrent” and vowed to hold the woman to account.
“There is no excuse for harming a child, especially not a one-year-old infant who is reliant on others for care and survival,” he said in a statement.
Police will hold a press conference on Thursday afternoon to address the charges.
