New South Wales police have applied for the extradition of a woman in New Zealand in connection to the alleged murder of a two-year-old girl nearly 35 years ago.
In October 2019, the state's Homicide Squad's Unsolved Homicide Unit established Strike Force Bertrand after receiving information about the death.
Detectives were told the child was fatally assaulted by a woman known to her at a rural property at Porters Retreat, south of the town of Oberon, west of Sydney in July 1987. A man then allegedly assisted her in disposing of the child's remains.
New Zealand police arrested a 59-year-old woman on Tuesday morning in Palmerston North and Australia has applied for her extradition.
At the same time, Australian investigators arrested a 70-year-old man at Porters Retreat and have charged him with being an accessory after the fact to murder and with misconduct with regard to corpses. He has been refused bail and will appear before the Bathurst Local Court on Wednesday.
Homicide Squad Commander, Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty, praised the investigators for their tenacity during their inquiries over the past two years.
"Strike Force Bertrand detectives have conducted an extensive, thorough and protracted investigation into this alleged murder that occurred more than three decades ago," Det Supt Doherty said.
"These allegations were only brought to the attention of NSW Police in October 2019, and it is due to the tenacity and dedication of our officers, that two individuals have now been arrested.
"The level of violence allegedly used upon this child is abhorrent and left a father without his daughter or knowledge of her death for 34 years.
"The NSW Police Force will always thoroughly investigate new information relating to historical crimes and have worked tirelessly to ensure justice is finally served for this little girl."
