A woman has appeared in court in Palmerston North after she was arrested over the death of a 2-year-old girl in Australia more than 30 years ago.
New South Wales police arrest a 70-year-old man in the state's Central Tablelands area for being an accessory after the fact to murder. Photo: Supplied
The woman now faces extradition to Australia on a murder charge.
She was arrested at her Palmerston North home on Tuesday morning and appeared in the city's district court that afternoon.
New South Wales police also on Tuesday arrested a 70-year-old man in the state's Central Tablelands area for being an accessory after the fact to murder and misconduct with regard to corpses for the 1987 crime.
He was to appear in the Bathurst Local Court on Wednesday.
New South Wales police say they received information in 2019 about the girl's death, in Oberon, central New South Wales.
"Detectives were told that the child was allegedly fatally assaulted by a woman known to her, in or around July 1987, at a rural property at Porters Retreat," a police statement said.
"The woman was then allegedly assisted by a man in disposing of the child's remains."
The man was arrested at a rural property at Porters Retreat, about 42km south of Oberon.
New South Wales police Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty, the homicide squad commander, said the two arrests came after a thorough investigation.
"The level of violence allegedly used upon this child is abhorrent and left a father without his daughter or knowledge of her death for 34 years.
"The NSW Police Force will always thoroughly investigate new information relating to historical crimes and have worked tirelessly to ensure justice is finally served for this little girl," he said.
Investigations are continuing.