A man accused of manslaughter over the deaths of two young children has been found dead less than six weeks after his release on bail.

Matthew McAuliffe, 24, had been due to face Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Friday morning.

Firefighters rescued three children – five-year-old Izabel, her three-year-old brother, Kalais, and their 21-month-old sister – after initially believing nobody was trapped inside the burning Sydenham house in 2024. Credit:

He was charged in September with two counts of negligent manslaughter and one count of negligently causing serious injury for leaving three children aged under five home alone before a house fire occurred.

However, a magistrate struck out all charges against McAuliffe on Friday.

“I confirm that the prosecution of Matthew McAuliffe was disc

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