THE grandfather of eight children stabbed to death in Cairns has delivered a heartfelt public appeal for children to be cherished.

Rod Willie said the tragedy had directly affected multiple families who were “mindful” of the shocking impact the deaths had on the wider community.

He had a message for those people — to unite during the Christmas period and “hold dear such occasions with family and friends”.

Families needed to regularly offer and seek loving support from one another, he said.

“Children are the most vulnerable of our society whose innocent lives deserve the greatest of love and care,” he said.

“Cherish them.”

Of the children who died he said: “Their lives were taken all too soon last week. We are working carefully and respectfully as immediate families, extended families and as a community, through a sensitive and cultural process to ensure our loved ones are respectfully put to rest,” he said.

The 8 children allegedly murdered at Manoora to be laid to rest in Cairns in the New Year @abcnews @abcnews_qld pic.twitter.com/f2fEgoGzGr — Kirsty Nancarrow (@KNancarrow) December 24, 2014

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“Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through a very difficult process.”

Mr Willie was speaking publicly for the first time since the stabbing massacre that made headlines around the world.

The mother of seven of the children and aunt to another, Raina Mersane Ina Thaiday, 37, was charged with eight counts of murder. The four boys and four girls, aged between two and 14 years, were found dead in the home at Manoora last Friday.

She is being treated for self-inflicted stab wounds in hospital. Her matter will return to court on January 30.

At a hearing this week her lawyer indicated he wanted to have the case sent to the Mental Health Court but a Magistrate rejected that because it was too early for the request to be made.

No date has been set for funeral ceremonies, but Mr Willie revealed the families would lay the victims to rest in Cairns early in the New Year.

He said those affected by the tragedy had been offered tremendous support from community leaders and organisations, individuals, agencies, and the private and corporate sectors. “Our priority focus to date has been very much towards supporting our traumatised family members, to meet our cultural protocols and to begin to consider extraordinary funeral arrangements,” he said.

No decision had been made on what would happen to the house where the killings took place or what to do with the donations from the public.