Hold them to account
ON June 11, 2016, two-year-old Mason Lee’s life of pain and suffering was ended by another brutal beating.
The ferocity of his last beating ruptured his internal organs and he was left to die slowly and in extreme agony.
The recently released, long overdue coroner’s report into his death would make a heart of stone ache and cause bewilderment and anger.
Mason’s death must not pass into history as merely a tragic footnote.
The wretched life and death of a child unknown to us must be more than media articles, a coroner’s report and a sad story.
Mason’s death must warrant more than banal statements by politicians, by the premier and the ministers for child safety, youth and women; and the prevention of domestic and family violence.
His life of suffering, pain, brutal beatings and neglect demands action from good people who did not know him.
Society could not protect Mason, but there were government officials who had the authority and responsibility for protecting him.
They failed to do so, and they must be held to account. Mason deserves no less.
Mason was well known to the department of child safety – known to many child safety officers who failed to protect him, despite being employed to do so.
The coroner’s report noted there was a litany of 36 failures by numerous government child safety officers.
In March 2016, a month before his death, hospital doctors were instructed by child safety officers to discharge Mason and return him into the care of his abusers. These doctors had complained about the continued abuse being suffered by Mason.
This was not the failure of one or two child safety officers on a few occasions.
Between March 8 and June 2, 2016, staff shuffled documents requiring assessment and approval for action to protect Mason between themselves.
They could not give the coroner a reason for doing this.
If they had acted, Mason would be alive today.
When reading articles about Mason, when your heart aches and your anger rises, vow that this will never happen to any child again. Do something to make your feelings known to those who claim a second inquiry by public servants is the appropriate response.
Demand that those who failed to protect Mason are held accountable.
They knew of his life of suffering, abuse and neglect, but they failed to act, failed to save Mason’s life.
By holding them accountable, the culture within the child safety department must change so that other children who are suffering abuse and neglect may be saved.
Recently, through media reports, we learned that a fouryear-old child with Down syndrome died of neglect and abuse.
She starved to death in her cot.
She, too, was well known to child safety officers.
How many other children are there suffering heinous abuse and neglect who are known to child safety officers but who will become known to us only when they tragically die and become another news item?
BARRY LOWE,
Kirwan.