SYDNEY, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- The parents of a 7-year-old Australian girl who starved to death were arrested Saturday morning near Sydney.
Sharyn and Blakeley Ward face a murder charge, The Sydney Daily Telegraph reported. They had been missing for several days.
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The body of 7-year-old Shellay Ward was found Nov. 3 in the family's home in Hawks Nest. The body weighed less than 20 pounds, authorities said.
Shellay, who was autistic, had not been enrolled in school. Her family lived in Sydney during her early years.
The case has raised questions about the New South Wales Department of Community Services. While the Ward family had come to the department's attention, its employees apparently did not notice that Shellay was being starved.
