Australian father accused of murdering children in home fire

An Australian father was charged with triple murder on Thursday, accused of deliberately setting fire to his home in western Sydney’s Lalor Park, locking the door with his seven children and their mother inside.

According to police, three children — two boys aged two and six, and a five-month-old baby girl — tragically died in the blaze over the weekend. The mother, aged 29, and the four other young children are currently hospitalized, with the children in stable condition and the mother released after treatment.

The 28-year-old father, who is under police guard in hospital following an induced coma, appeared in a Sydney court where he was denied bail. He faces three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder, as per court documents.

Detective Superintendent Daniel Doherty of New South Wales Police stated in a press conference that the man is alleged to have started fires inside the home using an accelerant, resulting in significant fire and smoke. The doors were locked, preventing the family from escaping.

Doherty noted that a courageous neighbor managed to rescue two boys aged four and seven, a nine-year-old girl, and their mother by forcibly entering the burning home. However, the father reportedly obstructed efforts to save an 11-year-old boy. Police intervened, wrestling the boy from the father’s grasp and successfully rescuing him.

Doherty suggested that a domestic dispute may have triggered the “horrendous murderous act.” He emphasized that most of the children were biologically related to the accused, but regardless, they were all his family.

“It’s not something that I will forget about very quickly,” Doherty said solemnly.