As investigations continue into the death of a six-year-old girl and the suspected neglect of her five siblings, the case is drawing attention, once again, to South Australia’s child protection system.
Key points:
- Charlie, 6, died in the early hours of last Friday
- Police are investigating her death, and the suspected neglect of her five siblings
- The SA government is conducting a review into dealings its departments had with the family
WARNING: This story contains content that some readers may find upsetting.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains the names of deceased persons.
Here’s what we know so far.
Paramedics were called to a home in Adelaide’s northern suburbs in the early hours of Friday, July 15, to find a six-year-old girl unresponsive.
She was rushed to Lyell McEwen Hospital, but died soon after arriving.
SA Police then launched a taskforce to investigate the death of the girl, Charlie, as a case of criminal neglect causing death.
The taskforce will also investigate the suspected neglect of five siblings, aged between seven and 16, who lived at the Munno Para house.
The siblings have since been removed.
Government departments were involved with the family
The government confirmed that four agencies – the Department for Human Services, SA Housing Authority, Department for Education and Department for Child Protection – had contact with the family for a couple of years.
A woman who knew the family told the ABC she had contacted the Department for Child Protection eight times regarding her concerns.
“Nothing was done,” she said.
Deputy Premier Susan Close said a review would be conducted into the interactions the four agencies had with the family.
“There have been multiple eyes on this family, and I, as I say, am frustrated and concerned that given that, how is it that this child has died?” Dr Close told ABC Radio Adelaide on Wednesday.
Dr Close said support had been given to the family through the Department for Human Services “so the mother was better able to have the children living with her”.
On Friday, the state government offered financial assistance to Charlie’s family to help pay for her funeral.
Earlier this week, the ABC revealed Charlie’s father was in jail for serious domestic violence against the mother.
The judge noted in the sentencing remarks that all of the couple’s children were at school and being cared for at the time.
SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said on Thursday that officers notify the Department for Child Protection if police respond to a domestic violence incident and children were present.
Charlie’s mum said she asked for help
Charlie’s mother, Crystal Hanley, told an Adelaide newspaper that the six-year-old “just stopped breathing” in the early hours of July 15, and she had tried to save her by performing CPR.
According to the The Advertiser, Charlie’s mother learnt the six-year-old had hereditary heart disease and coeliac disease after she died.
She said Charlie showed no signs of illness before her death.
“I’m not a perfect mum, but I’m not the mum they’ve made me out to be,” she was quoted as saying.
The Advertiser said Charlie’s mother had asked for but not received increased government support following the domestic violence incident.
Police urge public to wait for investigation to be complete
SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said he understood the public wanted answers but it was “still early days” in the investigation, and has urged people not to speculate on what happened.
Commissioner Stevens described the online commentary around the case as “savage”.
“We see this in a whole range of different scenarios where the public jury make a determination in the absence of any clear information or fact, and that can have a damaging impact,” he told ABC Radio Adelaide on Thursday.
He said protecting the mother’s privacy was a “challenge” when there had been “such significant media interest in this type of incident”.
“There are support arrangements in place through other government agencies that are reaching out to the mother to make sure she’s being cared for,” he said.
“It’s an unfortunate reality [that] there are going to be occasions when no matter what services are provided or the level of care that’s available, some people are not going to access it and some people are going to stay under the radar, and the first alert we’re going to get is when something tragic happens.
“But from a policing point of view, our obligation is to get to the bottom of the circumstances.”
Multiple inquiries into child protection in SA
There have been numerous child protection inquiries in the past, and advocates fear not enough has changed as a result.
And the South Australian government is already conducting a review into the child protection system as suggested by the Deputy State Coroner following the 2016 murders of Amber Rose Rigney, 6, and Korey Lee Mitchell, 5.
In that case, the Deputy State Coroner Anthony Schapel highlighted the “folly of governments” that had ignored coronial and other recommendations designed to improve the state’s child protection system.
Child Protection Minister Katrine Hildyard said the government would “accept and implement” all the recommendations outlined in that report.
Education Minister Blair Boyer said on Thursday his department would fully cooperate with the government review into Charlie’s case, and would put in place any recommendations made.
“I want to do absolutely everything I can to make sure this never happens again,” he said.
But families with lived experience say another internal review into the Department of Child Protection regarding Charlie’s death would have “no point”.
