Key facts
- Child protection authorities failed to adequately assess risks to Kumanjayi Little Baby's mother, leaving her to protect her children while experiencing domestic violence.
- The review could not establish a link between child protection referrals and the death of the five-year-old Warlpiri girl.
- The child's mother had been the subject of multiple child safety notifications due to domestic and family violence allegedly perpetrated by her father.
- A domestic and family violence-informed risk assessment was not performed as part of the child protection process.
- The review made seven recommendations, including improving training and risk assessments for child protection staff.
A draft review has found that child protection authorities "effectively" left Kumanjayi Little Baby’s mother alone to protect her children while she experienced domestic violence, due to a failure to adequately assess multiple threats to her safety. The interim report, tabled in parliament, stated that despite these conclusions, the review team could not draw a link between the child protection referrals and the five-year-old Warlpiri girl’s death.
The young girl, known as Kumanjayi Little Baby for cultural reasons, was allegedly abducted and murdered in April by Jefferson Lewis, 47, who has been charged with murder. Her disappearance led to an extensive search and widespread grief.
The review found that the "key issue" was not a lack of authority or protective mechanisms, but the "timeliness and effectiveness" of risk identification, assessment, and response. Despite repeated indicators of domestic and family violence, the cumulative impact and implications for the child’s safety were not adequately recognized, and protective responses were not pursued promptly.
The report confirmed multiple child safety notifications related to domestic and family violence allegedly perpetrated by the girl's father, including during her mother's pregnancy. However, a domestic and family violence-informed risk assessment was not conducted. The review authors noted that the department failed to recognize the "pattern of harm and the ongoing impact of the violence on the children and family environment."
The review, led by Karen Webb and Greg Shanahan, highlighted that the child safety framework relied too heavily on subjective judgment, which could lead to underestimating risk. Seven recommendations were made, including improving training, boosting workforce capacity, and enhancing risk assessments and safety planning.
Meanwhile, children and family advocates are opposing changes to NT child protection laws that could weaken the Aboriginal child placement principle. A joint statement from most state and territory children's ministers, along with the federal families minister, supported the principle, with SNAICC chief executive Catherine Liddle criticizing the NT government's proposed changes.