Authorities confirmed eight children, reportedly between the ages of 18 months and 15 years, were found stabbed to death at a home in the northern Australian city of Cairns on Friday. A 34-year-old woman, believed to be the mother of seven of the slain children, was also taken to a hospital for a chest wound and is said to be assisting police with the investigation. Police have not confirmed whether she is a suspect. The Guardian reports that the victims' 20-year-old brother was the first to discover the grisly scene. The tragic news comes three days after two people were killed in Sydney, where a gunman held 17 hostages in a café for more than 16 hours before police killed him. “This is an unspeakable crime. These are trying days for our country,” Prime Minister Tony Abbott said in a statement. “Tonight, there will be tears and prayers across our country for these children.”
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