Latest news with #KaseyPearce
The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Death of baby in Corowa home is ‘tragic' but remains a mystery, says coroner
The circumstances of the death of an apparently 'thriving' three-month-old baby remain unknown, an inquest has concluded. 'It is tragic, but we simply don't know what happened to KP,' NSW deputy state coroner Kasey Pearce said on Friday. The infant KP was found dead at his mother's home in Corowa in the NSW Riverina region in January 2022. The inquest revealed possible causes of death including drowning, suffocation and inadequate nutrition, Pearce said at the inquest in Sydney. But there was insufficient evidence in support for any of these. She said the available evidence from the inquest did not allow her to find cause, place or manner of KP's death. Pearce also rejected the account his mother gave police after KP's death, which included leaving her baby in the care of an unidentified man. 'It is implausible and inconsistent,' she said. 'Unfortunately, the result is there is no evidence leading up to the death of KP.' Pearce said the coroners court knew nothing about KP's emerging personality, but the baby was loved by his family. 'Until his premature death he seemed to be thriving,' she said. The inquest examined the actions of those involved in the care of KP and his mother before his death. These included services from the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ), Murrumbidgee local health district and Albury Wodonga Health. There were shortcomings in the actions of the organisations, but Pearce said her findings did not suggest that KP's death could have been avoided. 'On the contrary I was impressed with the care and professionalism of all who cared for KP,' she said. ''It appeared to those who saw KP with his mother that KP was safe in her care.' In the lead-up to his birth, DCJ completed a safety assessment where potential dangers were noted including his mother's mental health and drug abuse. But KP was deemed as 'safe with a plan', provided the involvement of social workers, and the support of family and community services. In retrospect, Pearce said there were signs of increasing risk for KP after his birth. His mother missed appointments including for a dietician and lactation consultant, and did not always answer the door to social workers. 'Even on days when she was clearly aware they would be visiting,' Pearce said. In her recommendations, Pearce said the NSW Health Safe Start program should formalise its administration and governance, including the clear allocation of roles and expectations. The program offers care and early intervention programs for pregnant women and their infants, and was responsible for providing services to KP and his mother. On January 12, 2022 a family member attended the granny flat where KP lived with his mother, and heard baby cooing sounds, Pearce said. 'It is the latest point in which we can establish that KP was alive,' she said.
ABC News
3 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
NSW coroner unable to determine cause of death of baby found in freezer
A coronial inquest has found there is not enough evidence to determine the cause of death of a three-month-old baby boy whose body was found in a freezer at a rural New South Wales property. The body of the child, identified only as KP, was found wrapped in a blanket on the top shelf of a freezer at a Corowa property in 2022 after police were called to do a welfare check. The coroner, Magistrate Kasey Pearce, identified several "missed opportunities" between the mother and support services leading up to the baby's death, but found they were unlikely to have changed the outcome. The findings follow a three-day inquest held in Albury in December. The inquest heard the baby's family had been advised of the hearing but were not in attendance. No charges have been laid over the death. The inquest heard the last evidence of KP being alive was seven days before his body was discovered and that investigators suspected he died sometime during a four-day period in 2022. Magistrate Pearce said despite evidence from witnesses and medical experts during the inquest, it was not possible to determine the cause, manner or location of KP's death. "Several possibilities as to the cause of KP's death were canvassed in the evidence," she said. "The possibility of drowning, of suffocation accidental or otherwise, and the possible effects of inadequate nutrition, but ultimately the unsatisfactory state of the evidence is that none of the possibilities that were identified by the doctors rise to a level of probability." Magistrate Pearce said at the time of his "premature death", KP seemed to be thriving. The inquest heard during a police interview, the mother said she had left KP with a man who she referred to as "Only" in the days before the baby was found dead. Magistrate Pearce said she found the account given by KP's mother "inherently implausible". The coroner said there were inconsistencies in the way the mother had described the events to the police. "I am unable to accept that the events described by the mother occurred. "Unfortunately, the result is that there is simply no evidence to what occurred in the days leading up to KP's death." The inquest was told the mother had been referred to the NSW-run Safe Start program for families at risk of adverse outcomes in the perinatal period. The Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) was also involved with the mother and baby after cannabis was detected in the baby's urine. Magistrate Pearce said the failure by DCJ to conduct a risk assessment of the case may have been a missed opportunity, but not one that was likely to have changed the outcome. She said in her opinion there were shortcomings in the DCJ practitioners' compliance with various policies and procedures, which in some respects could have been done better. But Magistrate Pearce noted her comments came with the benefit of hindsight. "I was impressed with the care and professionalism of all who dealt with KP and his family." The coroner recommended that Albury Wodonga Health and Murrumbidgee Local Health District work together to formalise the administration and governance of the Safe Start program for the catchment area.
