Man and woman charged after baby boy found dead in Australian motel
The infant had been deceased for a period of time, police say
An Australian man and woman have been charged after a baby boy was found dead in a motel in Australia’s Adelaide.
Benjamin Nicholas Houghton, 40, and Yue Ning Lieu, 42, were taken into custody after police discovered the child during a welfare check at the Tollgate Motel in Glen Osmond, in Adelaide’s south, on Saturday.
“The infant had been deceased for a period of time,” South Australia police said in a statement on Tuesday.
A post-mortem examination confirmed the boy was aged between six and seven months, police said.
The couple, who police said had been staying in room four of the motel since arriving in South Australia at the beginning of the year, have been charged with criminal neglect and concealing human remains to pervert the course of justice.
The pair appeared before Adelaide Magistrates Court on Monday in a bedside hearing and were remanded in custody until their next court appearance in May 2027. Neither applied for bail, according to the Australian Associated Press.
Police said the Major Crime Investigation Branch had taken over the investigation because of the “nature and complexity of the incident”.
South Australia’s police minister Michael Brown confirmed earlier on Tuesday that charges had been laid following the infant’s death.
“I've been advised that charges have been laid, but at this time I don't have any other information I can give you unfortunately,” he said.
The pair had been arrested and detained under the Mental Health Act before charges were laid. Police also said they had not had contact with South Australian authorities since arriving in the state.
South Australia premier Peter Malinauskas said the family was not known to the state’s child protection agency, although inquiries involving other agencies were continuing.
“I am in a position to be able to advise that this family and this child was not known to South Australian department of child protection, but there are still active inquiries underway across other agencies,” he said.
Mr Malinauskas reiterated the point in parliament on Tuesday, saying he had become aware of the infant’s death when it became publicly known.
“Whenever there is a death of a child it is tragic,” he said. “When it is an infant, it is particularly heartbreaking.”
The state’s police said they were seeking information from anyone who had stayed at the Tollgate Motel, particularly people who may know about the occupants of room four.
Anyone with relevant information has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
