Aged Care Death Probe
Police investigate 84-year-old's Sydney aged care death; daughter arrested over substance.
Key Points
The suspect arrested at the scene is described as the 84-year-old's daughter.
Police indicate the elderly woman had multiple medical conditions, which they say will be considered in the investigation and coroner's finding.
The 53-year-old suspect was transferred to Mount Druitt Hospital for medical assessment and remains in police custody while inquiries proceed.
Police have indicated the administered substance may be ‘medical related’ and have not yet identified what it was or its role in the death.
The aged care facility, Our Lady of Consolation, is a sizable operation with hundreds of residents; reports note it cared for 336 residents and provided at-home services to about 2,910 clients in the 2024/25 period.
Police are investigating the death of an 84-year-old woman at Our Lady of Consolation aged care home in Rooty Hill, western Sydney, after her 53-year-old daughter was arrested for allegedly administering an unknown substance late at night. Emergency services were called to the Evans Road facility at around 11:15 PM and found the elderly resident dead. The West Australian reported the suspect, described as having no prior criminal history, was found at the scene in visible distress.
The suspect was transported under police guard to Mount Druitt Hospital for a medical assessment and remains in custody. Detective Superintendent Barry Vincent told reporters it is "too early to say what the motive was or what the substance was." Police say the substance may be "medical related" but have not confirmed its identity or whether it caused the death.
Daughter Arrested After Late-Night Visit to Aged Care Room
The 53-year-old woman, identified in later court documents as Suzanne Marov, was known to staff at the facility as the victim's daughter. A nine-year-old child — believed to be the suspect's relative — was present in the room earlier that evening and left before the incident. Staff or CCTV footage appears to have triggered the call to police, according to The New Daily.
Police reviewed security footage as part of their initial inquiry. Det. Supt. Vincent said investigators would look at whether the death resulted from the alleged substance "or other factors," noting the elderly woman had multiple underlying medical conditions. A full autopsy and toxicology tests were ordered to help the coroner determine the cause of death.
Murder Charge Filed After Toxicology Identifies High-Dose Sedative
By August 2024, toxicology results identified the substance as a high-dosage sedative not prescribed to the victim. Marov was formally charged with murder and the case moved into the NSW Supreme Court system. Prosecutors focused on the lack of any authorisation under NSW law, treating the act as criminal homicide regardless of the family relationship or any compassionate intent.
Legal analysts noted that if Marov acted to end her mother's suffering, courts might consider "diminished responsibility" — but the murder charge stands unless the defence proves otherwise. The case has drawn comparisons to the 2005 Shirley Justins matter, a NSW precedent involving the administration of a poison to a person unable to consent, according to The New Daily.
Case Raises Questions About NSW's New Assisted Dying Laws
The incident happened roughly six months after NSW's Voluntary Assisted Dying Act came into effect on November 28, 2023. Under that law, VAD is only legal when a patient has a terminal illness with a prognosis of 6 to 12 months, retains decision-making capacity, and is approved by two independent doctors. Marov's alleged actions fell entirely outside that framework.
The case has put pressure on the NSW Government to clarify the VAD Act's boundaries. Critics argue the law's strict eligibility rules may leave some families feeling they have no legal path forward. Advocacy group Aged Care Reform Now also questioned how a visitor was able to remain in a resident's room late at night and allegedly administer a substance without staff intervention, according to The West Australian.
336-Resident Facility Faces Safety Review After Incident
Our Lady of Consolation is a large provider. It cared for 336 residents on-site and delivered at-home services to around 2,910 clients during the 2024/25 period, according to The West Australian. The facility's administration said it was cooperating fully with police and the NSW Coroner, and that findings would inform next steps.
The incident triggered a broader debate across the aged care sector about after-hours monitoring and medication security. Facilities began reviewing whether visitors could bring outside substances into private rooms undetected. The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission launched a review of protocols. Reports noted a temporary drop in new admissions at OLOC in late 2024 as residents' families raised concerns about safety.
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