A 10-year-old student found dead with a “slit throat” has been named after “beloved” Year 5 student Sophie Wang.
The girl was found dead in a home on Australia’s Gold Coast by a male relative, according to local reports.
Queensland Police say a 46-year-old woman has been charged with murder after the girl’s throat was allegedly slit.
Police say the girl’s killer was known to her.
She was found shortly after 6pm at a house in Emerald Lakes, Carrara, with police opening a homicide investigation.
The girl’s principal at Emmanuel College, Dan Brown, wrote a letter to her parents paying tribute to the “beloved” student.
“It is with regret that I inform you of a tragic incident that occurred at a home in Emerald Lakes last night, resulting in the death of one of our beloved students,” he wrote.
“We are devastated by this incident and know it will have a profound impact on our school community.
“Our prayers go out to the child’s family and friends and we extend our deepest condolences to everyone affected by this tragedy.”
Queensland Police Inspector Lou Serafim said officers were called at 6pm, adding that the girl lived in the house where her body was found.
“At approximately six o’clock this evening police received a triple 0 emergency call in relation to a 10-year-old girl who was located dead in a unit,” she said.
“We are currently treating the death of the 10-year-old girl as suspicious and investigations are ongoing into the girl’s death.
“The triple 0 call was made by a relative who was at the scene of the incident when they located the 10-year-old girl.”
She called the scene “quite traumatic.”
Neighbor Chris Sydes told Australia’s Nine News he was left with “a pain in his heart” when he saw the officers come out into the street.
He said: “It’s just a terrible, terrible, terrible event that breaks your heart.”
Images circulating on social media show several police cars and an ambulance with lights flashing on a street.
A tent was set up next to the ambulance shortly before 8 p.m., according to the Courier Mail.
The Queensland newspaper reported that members of a forensic team in blue suits were seen entering the property.
An unidentified resident was left in shock.
She told local media: “It’s usually very quiet around here.
“I can’t believe it.”
Emerald Lakes is located approximately 15 minutes’ drive from the popular Surfers Paradise.
It is next to Carrara Stadium, which hosted athletics at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, and about an hour’s drive south of Brisbane.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story