Question On Notice No. 3348 asked in the Legislative Council on 21 October 2020 by Hon Nick Goiran
Question Directed to the: Leader of the House representing the Minister for Child Protection
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
Tabled Paper No: 4674-
View tabled paper
Question
I refer to question on notice 3228, in which it was stated that in the 2019-20 financial year, Communities received notification of 31 cases that met the five criteria for an investigable child death, and I ask, for each of the 31 cases, which of the criteria did they meet to thus be defined as an investigable child death?
Answered on 25 November 2020
Investigable deaths are defined in section 19A(3) of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1971 and occurs if a child dies and any of the following circumstances exists:
a. In the 2 years before the date of the child’s death, the CEO had received information that raised concerns about the wellbeing of the child or a child relative of the child;
b. In the 2 years before the date of the child’s death, the CEO, under section 32(1) of the Children and Community Services Act 2004 (CCS Act), had determined that action should be taken to safeguard or promote the wellbeing of the child or a child relative of the child;
c. In the 2 years before the date of the child’s death, any of the actions listed in section 32(1) of the CCS Act was done in respect of the child or a child relative of the child;
d. protection proceedings are pending in respect of the child or a child relative of the child;
e. the child or a child relative of the child is in the CEO’s care.
Please [see tabled paper no.] for a breakdown of each of the 31 investigable child deaths in the 2019-20 financial year in relation to the five circumstances listed as (a) through (e) above.