Federal minister backs push for inquest into Port Hedland deaths
Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy has backed a grandmother's campaign for a coronial inquest into the deaths of three children in 2022.
Federal minister Malarndirri McCarthy has backed Dororthy Papertalk's push for an inquest into the deaths of her three grandchildren, who were killed in Port Hedland, Western Australia in 2022. The children died at the hands of their mother, Margaret Dale Hawke, who is serving a life sentence.
McCarthy told media on Monday that she wants to support Mrs Papertalk and look at the circumstances around the deaths. McCarthy said there is something not right in the region and urged the WA government to work with families to tackle poverty and neglect.
WA Attorney-General Tony Buti said he cannot overrule the coroner's decision to reject an inquest without fresh evidence, despite criticism from legal experts.
- Three children, aged 10, 7, and 4 months
- The victims
- July 2022
- When
- Margaret Dale Hawke, serving life sentence
- The convicted killer
Why it mattersThe case has raised questions about child protection systems in Western Australia and whether preventable deaths receive proper scrutiny and accountability.
AustraliaThis reflects a major accountability battle in Western Australia's child protection system, with growing pressure on state government to investigate systemic failures.
Corroborated bysmh.com.au·theage.com.au
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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