August 5, 2026 — 2:53pmA 16-year-old boy who is alleged to have killed his mother and stabbed his 12-year-old sister would not appear before a magistrate in Perth Children’s Court on Wednesday as it was revealed he was being seen by a psychiatrist on a weekly basis while in custody.The teen, who cannot be named, was arrested after police were called to a Bentley address early on July 21 where they found a 35-year-old woman dead, having allegedly been killed by her son.Lawyer Simon Freitag appearing outside Perth Children’s Court on Wednesday after representing a 16-year-old boy accused of murdering his mother.Rebecca PeppiattThe boy’s sister was also allegedly stabbed inside the family home before escaping to nearby Albany Highway, where bystanders provided first aid.She was taken to hospital for treatment but has since been released.The boy was taken into custody after his arrest and has since had two court appearances that he has struggled to attend.On Wednesday, the court was told he would not enter the video conferencing room for his scheduled appearance. He was initially due to appear in person, but Magistrate Andree Horrigan said it would have been “quite confronting given all the circumstances”.Instead, the boy’s lawyer, barrister Simon Freitag, spoke on his behalf asking for disclosure of the prosecution’s case.The court was told the boy is now in the care of the Department of Communities, with representatives of the department also in attendance, and Freitag requested “previous specialist reports”.The court was told the boy was being reviewed weekly by a psychiatrist.“His health and wellbeing is paramount while he is in custody,” Horrigan said.The boy is due to appear in court again next month via video link, with Horrigan adding that “going backwards and forwards to court” was “stressful and unnecessary”.A source close to the family previously told WAtoday the boy’s family had reached out to try and get support for him “on a number of occasions” before the alleged stabbing.“His family loved him. It’s a sad tragedy,” the source said.The boy will next appear at Perth Children’s Court on September 18.Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.More:CourtsCrimeCrimeCourtsLawPoliceWA courtsBanksia HillPerthFrom our partners