A woman charged with murdering a three-year-old boy in Melbourne's northwest didn't want to attend court in person because the charge she faces is "distressing".
The 31-year-old Albanvale woman cannot be named after her lawyer and police argued for her to instead be known by the pseudonym EN.
Court was closed for much of a filing hearing in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
The body of a three-year-old boy, who can only be referred to by the pseudonym IL, was discovered at an Albanvale property about 4pm on Monday.
The woman was charged the same day.
Her lawyer initially asked if the hearing could go ahead in her absence.
When magistrate Brett Sonnet questioned if there was a reason other than her not wanting to be in court, the lawyer replied it was because the nature of the charges was "extremely distressing".
The request was denied. She appeared in court wearing a dark coloured prison-issued jumper and sat quietly and calmly in the dock surrounded by three security staff.
She mumbled "yep" when asked if she understood that she could appear in court in person next time, or by video link from jail.
The case will return to court for a committal mention on May 15. Police have until April 8 to prepare a brief of evidence against her.
