July 2002

Review information aids child protection

The number of deaths of children who had been notified to the child protection system had fallen from 24 in 2000 to 12 in 2001, according to the Annual Report of Inquiries into Child Deaths.

The report, the sixth annual independent review of the deaths was conducted independently by the Victorian Child Death Review Committee.

Minister for Community Services Bronwyn Pike said each of the 12 child deaths last year was a human tragedy.

Each has been independently scrutinised by the Victorian Child Death Review Committee.

She said the Committee examined:

• The circumstances of children in the child protection system when they died;

• Cases first reported to child protection as a result of the incident that led to a child death;

• Cases where a child died within three months of child protection ending its involvement.

To try to learn anything that may help better protect children the Committee reviewed deaths even if they were accidental, through natural causes or as a result of acquired illnesses.

Last year, four cases were accidental deaths (three were car accidents), four were acquired illnesses, two were due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and one was from self-harming behaviour or suicide.

In one case, the cause of death was undetermined, she said.

‘Inquiries are purposely wide. The aim is to glean any piece of information that may help child protection workers better protect vulnerable children in future,’ Ms Pike said.

‘The Committee’s work is helping to build a heightened awareness among workers of risk factors.’