REVEALED: Mother suspected of killing herself and her four children in fiery car crash was investigated by child safety officers months before as she made cries for help online
- Charmaine Harris McLeod died with children in car crash northwest of Brisbane
- A December Facebook post claimed child safety officers investigated the family
- Ms McLeod spoke of suffering 'significant mental health issues' on social media
- Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mander demanded department be transparent
A mother suspected of killing herself and her four children in a fiery crash was visited by child safety officers months before the tragedy.
Charmaine Harris McLeod, 35, died after her Nissan station wagon smashed into a truck on the Bunya Highway, near Kingaroy, northwest of Brisbane, on Monday.
Her four children Aaleyn, six, Matilda, five, Wyatt, four, and Zaidok, two, were also killed and the incident is being investigated as a murder-suicide.
Charmaine Harris McLeod was killed after her Nissan station wagon collided with a truck on the Bunya Highway, near Kingaroy, northwest of Brisbane, on Monday
Her four children Aaleyn, 6, Matilda, 5, Wyatt, 4, and Zaidok, 2, were also killed and the accident is being investigated as a murder-suicide (pictured, with father James McLeod)
Her Facebook profile comprises of a picture of herself next to a short message that said she carried 'a lot of responsibility'
According to a Facebook post by Ms McLeod in December, seen by the Courier Mail, the Department of Child Safety had been investigating her family and their welfare.
She spoke of suffering 'significant mental health issues' and said that 'Child Safety are involved.'
'We feel alone and lost,' she wrote in the post.
'Life is hard, really hard… I'm struggling to even trust God.'
Ms McLeod posted comments in online support groups about troubles in her life.
On one occasion, she wrote about about feeling 'lost and alone', while in another post she replied to a question about items she would rescue from a burning house.
'My children can't be replaced, so I would rescue my children first,' she wrote.
Her Facebook profile image comprises of a picture of herself next to a short message that said she carried 'a lot of responsibility'.
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'God gave you a heart of gold,' it reads.
'You are a very sensitive person. It's not that easy being you! You carry a lot of responsibility and play an essential role in other people's lives, but you are strong and can bear the burden on your shoulders.
'Never forget how valuable you are.'
Queensland Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mander demanded that the Department of Child Safety reveal if it had any involvement with the McLeod family.
'The Palaszczuk Government needs to be transparent and open about this case so Queenslanders can have comfort that our vulnerable children are being protected,' he said.
Minister for Child Safety Di Farmer refused to comment and said she was legally prohibited from commenting on individual cases.
Ms Harris McLeod posted comments in online support groups about troubles in her life
Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mander demanded Department of Child Safety come forward and reveal if they had any involvement with the McLeod family
'I know everyone wants answers, and so do I, but we need this to be done properly, and we need to allow police and the coroner the time and space to do their job.'
According to the Courier-Mail, the Child Death Case Review Panel is examining the deaths of the McLeod children.
The body gets involved in such cases after a child who is known to the department within the past 12 months is seriously injured or killed.
A handwritten note, which is believed to have been written by Ms McLeod, was discovered close to the crash site.
The note, along with the absence of skid marks at the scene, resulted in suspicious of murder-suicide.
It remains unclear why the family were so far from their Hervey Bay home.
A handwritten note, which is believed to have been written by Ms McLeod, was discovered close to the crash site
While it remains unclear why they were so far from their Hervey Bay home, the note, along with the absence of skid marks at the scene, resulted in specialist officers and homicide detectives being brought into the case
Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart confirmed the crash was 'absolutely' being investigated as a homicide.
He said homicide detectives were working the case as 'there is a potential that there was an intention for someone to die'.
Commissioner Stewart said it may take some time to uncover what caused the crash and, for the time being, the deaths haven't been added to the national road toll.
Police also don't know where Ms McLeod was heading when the accident occurred, as the car was travelling south along the highway, about three hours from home.
They believed the family were driving from the Bundaberg area, about 90 minutes north of Hervey Bay.
Superintendent Dave Johnson previously said officers were looking at the case from 'all angles' to determine the exact causative factors.
Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart confirmed the crash was 'absolutely' being investigated as a homicide
