Inquest ordered into Port Hedland children's deaths
An inquest has been ordered into the July 2022 deaths of three children killed by their mother in Port Hedland, Western Australia.
Jamela Hawke, 10, and her brothers Anand, 7, and four-month-old Kelvin Jr were killed by their mother Margaret Dale Hawke in Port Hedland in July 2022. WA Attorney-General Tony Buti ordered an inquest on Thursday, reversing a former coroner's decision not to hold one.
Buti said there is fresh evidence and circumstances not previously considered. The order followed sustained pressure from the children's grandmother Dorothy Papertalk and Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy.
Hawke was sentenced in 2023 to a minimum non-parole period of 25 years after pleading guilty to three counts of murder. She had grown up in a violent home with alcohol abuse, was abused in relationships, and was using methamphetamine.
She had repeatedly asked community groups and medical staff for help, but few options were available.
- July 2022, Port Hedland, Western Australia
- When and where
- 25 years minimum non-parole period, 2023
- Sentence imposed
- Fresh evidence and new circumstances
- Reversal driver
Why it mattersThe inquest will examine whether child protection and family support systems failed to help a vulnerable family before tragedy struck.
AustraliaThis Western Australian case raises questions about how child welfare and mental health services respond to families in crisis across Australia.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 4 h ago
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