Brisbane vigil for fatally stabbed baby

Prayers were read and a minute's silence held at a candlelight vigil for a two-month-old girl who died in a suspected stabbing attack in Brisbane's south.

A Facebook image obtained Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016 of two-month-old baby Qianqian "Queenie" Xu.

A Facebook image obtained Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016 of two-month-old baby Qianqian "Queenie" Xu. Source: AAP

Some travelled from across Brisbane to attend a candlelight vigil for a two-month-old girl who died in a suspected stabbing attack in Brisbane's south.

More than 200 prayed and held a minute's silence in a small park on the quiet street at Parkinson where Qianqian "Queenie" Xu was fatally injured in her bassinet on Wednesday night.

Some were friends of the family, others strangers wanting to show their support many were seeking answers.

"I came here for two reasons, because I wanted to support this Chinese family and because it was a baby, so young, so precious," David Xhang, 55, from Kenmore told AAP.

"How can we help the Chinese community to stop this from happening again?"
More than 200 people have turned out to a candlelight vigil for a two-month-old baby who died in an alleged stabbing attack in Brisbane's south, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016.
More than 200 people have turned out to a candlelight vigil for a two-month-old baby who died in an alleged stabbing attack in Brisbane's south, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016. Source: AAP
Queenie died in hospital on Wednesday, shortly after police swooped on her family home and found the baby, her mother Yuanyuan Cao and grandparents all seriously injured with knife wounds.

The girl's grandfather, a Chinese national, is under police guard at Princess Alexandra Hospital but police will only consider laying charges once they have spoken to the 53-year-old.

"He (the grandfather) was really friendly and I saw him playing with his grandchild," neighbour Sneza Savic, 51, told AAP after the vigil.

"It's so sad for an innocent baby to lose a life.

"These past two days I've just been thinking - what happened?"

Jessica and Lee, both in their 30s, said they shared mutual friends with Yuanyuan Cao and had previously lived in the area.

"It's just shocking," the pair, who declined to give their surnames, said.

"She (the mother) is a very nice and kind person."

Local Pastor Robert Chua told those grieving for the family that sometimes there were no answers, but they should take comfort in the fact the girl was with God.

Grandad 'happy days before stabbing'

The man suspected of stabbing his grand-daughter to death in Brisbane's south was seen smiling while holding the girl in his arms at church days before the alleged attack.

Pastor Chua says he met the man briefly last Sunday when he attended a service at the nearby New Hope Community Church.

"He was very normal, very loving," Mr Chua said on Thursday night.

"He was carrying the little baby and smiling and walking around.

"I didn't see him when he left but I was told he said: `See you later, see you next Sunday'.

"These are like normal visitors from China. We get many of them every Sunday.

"It was a real shock to us to see this happen."

Mr Chua plans to visit Queenie's parents George and Yuanyuan Cao in hospital on Friday.

"I won't have much to say to them, I just want to sit next to them and hug them if I can," he said.

"My faith tells me that the little baby will be with God so that's one comfort I can give to the parents tomorrow."

Police have said Queenie's grandparents were visiting from China to help care for their grand-daughter while Yuanyuan Cao prepared to return to her job at a bank.



 


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Source: AAP


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