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Cairns killings: Demolition of home where children died delayed
The Cairns house in which eight children were allegedly murdered in December will remain standing until at least June, when the mother of seven of those children again faces court.
Raina Mersane Ina Thaiday, 37, faces eight murder charges over the deaths of three of her daughters, aged two, 11 and 12, four of her sons, aged five, six, eight and nine, and her 14-year-old niece.
The Cairns home where eight children were allegedly murdered in December. Credit: Edwina Pickles
The multiple homicide in the Cairns suburb of Manoora on December 19 shocked even the most seasoned of police officers, who had to be offered counselling to deal with the horrific scenes they faced.
Days after the deaths of the children, who Fairfax Media are not naming in respect of cultural protocols, it was announced the house would be demolished to make way for a memorial.
Since then, the house has remained a source of community angst.
Cairns state MP Rob Pyne said the hope of everyone in the community was that the Manoora house would be levelled as soon as possible.
"That's a source of frustration for the local community, but the justice system has to go through its processes and until that happens we can't knock the house down," he said.
"We won't know about that until the end of June."
A committee, the Community Healing Project, has been set up to help manage recovery efforts, including what shape a memorial on the site of the house might take.
The head of that committee, Red Cross Far North Queensland regional manager Michael White, said the demolition would be "one of the key milestones" in the community's recovery.
"For that community, it would be a great step reclaiming that land in a positive manner," he said.
"There will be consultation with the families and the community and finding the happy medium between those two groups about what sort of memorial, or what sort of acknowledgment, is left there in the long term."
Mr White said there had been some discussions about what to do with the property, which adjoins a neighbourhood park on Murray Street.
"The family's talking about a memorial and so is the community, but there's also been ideas about a community garden or (the property) becoming part of the park, with chairs and seats," he said.
"So there have been general conversations, but nothing formalised at this point in time."
Attempts to contact the children's family spokesman were unsuccessful.
Mr Pyne said whatever was decided, it was important that the decision be made by the local community and the families of those who were lost.
"There have been plenty of ideas, like planting eight fruit trees, there's been all sorts of things," he said.
"You take notice of what everyone wants, but on top of the list are the people who live on the street."
A spokesman for Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath said it was hoped the demolition of 34 Murray Street would begin as soon as possible.
"As soon as it is confirmed that the house is no longer needed for the trial process we will move ahead with the demolition," he said.
Ms Thaiday's case is set down to be heard in the Mental Health Court on June 24.
A Department of Justice spokeswoman said Ms Thaiday, who was also known as Mersane Warria, would not be required to attend.