Girl, six, who died after being found inside Adelaide ‘house of horrors’ pictured for first time

 The first photo has emerged of the six-year-old girl who died as an alleged victim of criminal neglect – little Charlie smiling sweetly at the camera, her hair neatly brushed.

South Australian Police on Tuesday launched a major crimes investigation into Charlie’s death after she was found unresponsive at her home in Munno Para, north of Adelaide, on Friday. 

The little girl – one of five siblings aged eight, 10, 13, 14 and 15 – was rushed to the Lyell McEwin Hospital by paramedics, where she died soon after arriving. 

Emergency service workers were so concerned they rang police before the six-year-old was even taken to hospital. 

Charlie’s family was known to police and at least three other government agencies, officials said. Authorities will probe what interactions they have had in the years leading up to her death. 

SA Deputy Police Commissioner Linda Williams said the six-year-old’s living conditions were ‘poor’ and said it was too early to determine if her death could have been prevented. 

She could not confirm the last time Charlie had been seen or even attended school.  

A six-year-old has died from suspected malnutrition and her siblings have been removed from her Adelaide ‘house of horrors’. Charlie was taken to the Lyell McEwin Hospital (pictured) by paramedics on Friday

A special taskforce has been formed to investigate her death and the circumstances behind it. 

Task Force Prime will investigate possible criminal neglect charges relating to her five siblings living in the same house.

All of them have been removed from the home and are now in the care of the state’s Department for Child Protection.

The children were reportedly living with their mother while their father is behind bars on domestic violence related offences. 

Acting Premier Susan Close said a government review would investigate the interactions between Charlie’s family and the state’s human services, child protection, education and housing agencies. 

The chief executive of the Department of Premier and Cabinet will determine which services were engaged, how they collaborated, how effective they were, and what changes might be required. 

Child Protection Minister Katrine Hildyard said these were ‘absolutely tragic and heart breaking circumstances’ and offered her sympathies to Charlie’s family. 

Ms Hildyard said SA’s child protection system ‘has to do better’ and vowed the government would be ‘relentless’ in improving the system.

Police are investigating whether Charlie’s five siblings were also neglected (stock image)

An SA Ambulance Service spokeswoman said paramedics arrived at the scene in Adelaide’s north within eight minutes.  

The case has already been compared to an infamous ‘house of horrors’ case from 2008.

Three adults were jailed for staving and beating five children at a home in Parafield Gardens, in Adelaide’s north. 

Their shocking abuse was only uncovered when a child was taken to hospital with a head injury and suffering from hypothermia. 

Commissioner Williams said she could ‘understand’ how people could compare Charlie’s death with the notorious incident.

‘This is extremely serious. The death of any person is tragic but the death of a young child, a six-year-old girl, obviously causes grave concern for everybody,’ she said.