THE town of Gunnedah is in shock after the horrific death of a young girl allegedly at the hands of a teenage girl.
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The teenage girl from Gunnedah, who cannot be identified, made no application for bail in Tamworth Children's Court on Thursday, and it was formally refused.
She is accused of murdering the relative at the family farm on the edge of town on Wednesday morning.
Mr MacPherson suppressed key details of the case, including the nature of the alleged victim's injuries, along with any information that tends to identify the families involved.
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Police applied for the suppression orders in court as investigations by Strike Force Wilima,- the operation by Oxley detectives probing the alleged murder, continued on Thursday.
The young girl's body was discovered just after 7am on Wednesday. Despite emergency efforts to revive her, she died at the scene. Police said she suffered significant injuries.
The farm remained a crime scene with officers standing guard on Thursday.
Mayor Jamie Chaffey said the horrific details of the case had shocked the Gunnedah community. He took aim at some media outlets for the "abhorrent reporting" of graphic details in the case.
"We are particularly disgusted in the approach in some of the media outlets. It's a devastating event for Gunnedah," he said.
"It's absolutely disgusting.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with families involved and the first responders at the scene.
"Our minds go to the rest of the residents in the shire that are deeply affected by what's happened and we do encourage people to seek support where it's needed, and there are many ways to do that within the community."
Cr Chaffey said the council was setting up support mechanisms for those who needed it, particularly some of the town's youth.
"We're asking now, through the media and the community, for respect and privacy for those involved," he said.
"We acknowledge the suppression orders that were announced in court, and now the court process needs to be able to run its course.
"I've spoken to many leaders in the community and church groups and we're just encouraging them to be there and available for any members of the community who need to talk."
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Breanna Chillingworth
Northern Daily Leader Senior Crime and Court Reporter
Northern Daily Leader Senior Crime and Court Reporter
