Child protection authorities have declared the death of a three-year-old girl in regional South Australia a “significant incident”, but are refusing to publicly release information about the case.
The toddler died in Whyalla in May, after her family had contact with SA’s Department for Child Protection (DCP).
Documents released to ABC News under freedom of information laws reveal the department lodged a “significant incident” report on May 10, following the three-year-old’s death.
The heavily redacted document states that ambulance officers attended the incident, and police were either in attendance or advised of the death.
The document also shows that the department noted the incident could draw “possible media attention”.
DCP defines a “significant incident” as an event that occurs “as a result of, or during the delivery of, services directly provided or funded by the department, that cause or are likely to cause significant negative impacts on the health, safety or wellbeing of clients, staff of others involved in the event”.
According to the department, a “significant incident” can be triggered by the death of a child in state care, or the death of a child who “has been known to the department through a previous notification of abuse/neglect”.
ABC News asked the department whether the three-year-old girl was in state care at the time of her death, what caused her death, and why a significant incident report was made.
A department spokesperson refused to directly respond to the questions.
However after publication, the government has now confirmed the child was not in state care.
They said the child’s death had been referred to the SA coroner “in line with standard process in SA”.
“The death of any child is a tragedy for their family, community and all who knew them,” the spokesperson said.
“Significant incident reports are initiated in relation to a range of issues.”
SA Police told ABC News in August that it was preparing a report for the coroner.
However, a spokesperson for the coroner declined to confirm whether the death was under investigation.
Opposition calls for more transparency
Additional freedom of information documents released to ABC News show DCP sent two parliamentary briefing notes to SA’s child protection minister, Katrine Hildyard, following the girl’s death.
Both documents were fully redacted prior to their release.
According to the department, releasing the information would involve “the unreasonable disclosure of information concerning the personal affairs of a person”, and would “infringe the privilege of parliament”.
Opposition spokesperson Josh Teague said while the family’s privacy needed to be respected, the government was not being transparent about the circumstances surrounding the girl’s death.
The opposition has called on the government to reveal when the girl’s family came into contact with DCP and whether any safety concern notifications were made about the girl prior to her death.
“The government needs to be far more transparent in order to recover some semblance of confidence in the South Australian community that the government is actually undertaking its most vital responsibility in terms of the care of South Australia’s vulnerable infants and children,” Mr Teague said.
“We need to know what has gone on so we can test the department’s capacity and the minister’s capacity and the government’s capacity to look after these vulnerable children.
“The minister has simply stonewalled.”
Mr Teague said it could take more than six years for the coroner to release information about the girl’s death, if it decided to hold an inquest.
“It’s not good enough to have to wait many, many years, before the South Australian community can be informed,” he said.
Minister declines to comment while matter is before coroner
A spokesperson for Child Protection Minister Katrine Hildyard said it would be “entirely inappropriate” to comment on the girl’s death.
“Given the breadth of his multiple portfolio areas, which include being the shadow attorney-general and shadow minister for child protection, Josh Teague should know that it is entirely inappropriate to provide further comment when a matter is before the coroner,” the spokesperson said.
Ms Hildyard told ABC News in August that she was “always notified” about “tragic” incidents.
“The death of any child is absolutely tragic,” she said.
“I can’t go into any further detail.”
SA’s Child Death and Serious Injury Review Committee has previously reported that in the 16 years from 2005 and 2020, 473 children died after their families had contact with the state’s child protection system.