A harrowing case of alleged domestic violence has been laid bare in an independent review into the death of five-year-old Warlpiri girl Kumanjayi Little Baby. The mother, who was herself a victim of abuse, was found to have lacked adequate support from child protection authorities, despite multiple warnings about the risks to her children's safety. This failure raises serious questions about the UK's own approach to safeguarding vulnerable families, particularly those affected by domestic violence.
The review, led by former New South Wales police commissioner Karen Webb and former acting Northern Territory anti-corruption commissioner Greg Shanahan, highlighted that the core issue was not a lack of legal authority or protective mechanisms, but rather the timeliness and effectiveness of identifying, assessing, and responding to risk. It noted that despite repeated indicators of domestic and family violence, the cumulative impact of this violence and its implications for the child's safety were not adequately recognised, and protective responses were not pursued promptly.
The report confirmed that Kumanjayi Little Baby and her family had been the subject of multiple child safety notifications due to alleged domestic and family violence perpetrated by her father against her mother, including during her pregnancy. Crucially, a domestic and family violence-informed risk assessment was not performed as part of the child protection risk assessment process.
The review found that the child safety framework relied excessively on social workers' subjective judgment, leading to inconsistent application of risk scaling and a potential understatement of risk and overstatement of safety. This echoes concerns raised in the UK about the need for more robust safeguarding measures to protect vulnerable families. As our own government grapples with issues of domestic violence and child protection, the findings of this review serve as a stark reminder of the importance of timely intervention and effective support for those affected by abuse.