Category: News and Views
From The Australian
James Madden | November 07, 2007
SEVEN-YEAR-OLD Shellay Ward weighed just 9kg when she died in her bed at her family's home in the NSW mid-north coast town of Hawks Nest.
Yesterday, as police began an investigation into whether Shellay had died of starvation and dehydration, questions were being asked how this could happen
in Australia.
Last night, her father denied starving Shellay to death. But he confirmed police had told him she died from starvation and dehydration.
It emerged yesterday that the seven-year-old had been under the supervision of the NSW Department of Community Service for most of her short life.
Community Services Minister Kevin Greene confirmed that the Wards, a family of five, were "known to DOCS".
"Action has been taken to keep the young girl's siblings safe," Mr Greene said.
NSW Premier Morris Iemma said he could not come to terms with "a child starving to death in our community".
"We're a modern, prosperous state," Mr Iemma said. "I know there are pockets of severe disadvantage but I shake my head that a child dies, allegedly, through
starvation."
Shellay was found dead at 1pm on Saturday in her home at Hawks Nest by emergency services workers who answered a triple-0 call.
Homicide detectives have been called in to investigate, with the help of sex crime and child protection officers. The NSW Government yesterday announced
that the state Ombudsman would conduct an independent review of the case.
Shellay's father, Blakeley Ward, rejected suggestions that his daughter had starved to death.
"Starvation? We didn't starve her," Mr Ward said. "She was born small. She was a tiny kid."
Mr Ward told Sydney's The Daily Telegraph that police who attended the scene informed him his daughter had died from starvation and dehydration.
"I don't know how this can be," he said. "She'd eat like anything."
Mr Ward said he and his wife, Sharon, were loving parents who lived for their three children.
"I love my kids to death, all three of them, and now one of them is gone," he said. "Someone help me find out what happened to my little girl."
Mr Ward said his daughter had autism and had been ill recently.
He said he had called police after his wife found Shellay had stopped breathing. When police arrived at the house, Shellay was dead.
A police spokeswoman would not confirm the cause of the girl's death, and the results of a post-mortem examination are expected this week.
The girl's death will sharpen the focus on DOCS, which is under pressure following claims it failed to intervene in the case of Dean Shillingsworth, a two-year-old
whose body was found last month stuffed in a suitcase that had been dumped in a duck pond in Ambarvale, in Sydney's southwest.
Dean, who was in the custody of his mother at the time of his death, was also well known to DOCS, having had various carers over the course of his short
life.
Dean's mother, Rachel Pfitzner, has been charged with the boy's murder.
In a NSW Ombudsman's annual report released last month, it was revealed that more than 100 children died in the state last year despite the fact they or
their families had been reported to DOCS in the three years before their deaths.
and from The Age
Seven-year-old starves to death
November 6, 2007 - 7:57PM
A seven-year-old girl who allegedly starved to death in her bed was known to the NSW Department of Community Services (DoCS), it emerged today.
A series of investigations have been launched following the discovery of the girl's body on Saturday in a home at Hawks Nest, north of Newcastle.
She was found by emergency services workers responding to a triple-0 call.
Police today would not confirm reports her malnourished body was found in her bed.
A post-mortem examination has been carried out in Newcastle.
A 34-year-old woman was treated at the Hawks Nest home before being taken to Newcastle's Mater Hospital for observation. She was later released.
DoCS said it had already taken action to keep the girl's siblings safe but would not comment further.
However, NSW Premier Morris Iemma said the girl was known to DoCS, with the department now investigating the case in addition to an external review being
conducted by the NSW Ombudsman.
Homicide detectives are also investigating the case, with the help of sex crime and child protection officers, along with the NSW Coroner.
"I find it difficult to come to terms with a child starving to death in our community," Mr Iemma told reporters.
"We're a modern, prosperous state. I know there are pockets of severe disadvantage but I shake my head that a child dies, allegedly, through starvation."
Ombudsman Bruce Barbour said the external investigation into the case had already begun.
"We will pursue all necessary avenues of inquiry to ensure a thorough and proper examination of the circumstances leading to the tragic death of this child,"
Mr Barbour said in a statement.
Police confirmed the girl's parents had been interviewed but would not comment further.
The girl died less than three weeks after the body of two-year-old Dean Shillingsworth was found in a suitcase floating in a duck pond in Ambarvale in Sydney's
south-west.
Dean was also known to DoCS and his mother has been charged with his murder.
Community Services Minister Kevin Greene today told Macquarie Radio he accepted DoCS was flawed.
"But I also say we are doing the very best we can but we need to do better and as a result of that, we will take on board the recommendations that come
from our own internal review but also the independent review of the ombudsman," he said.
"We need to find out what we did know (about this case) but what is absolutely obvious is that no child in NSW should be starving to death."
Opposition community services spokeswoman Katrina Hodgkinson said it was time the government listened to the NSW Ombudsman and made changes to the way DoCS
handled notifications of children at risk.
"Every time there is another fatality of a child in this state, Minister Kevin Greene comes out and says: 'Sorry it's under investigation, I'm not going
to make a comment' and then hopes it slips away," she told reporters.
"Every year there are more than 100 children that die pursuant to the notification to the department of community services."
She said there was shortcomings in the DoCS system that must be addressed.
what the fuck is wrong with people? if you can't handle kids, dont' look after them! god damn! I know that's a simplistic view, and there are times kids can be extremely difficult, believe me i know this. but nothing. *nothing* should make you, anyone that is, want or need to do that! sheesh! ... ok, i'm done....w
It could be a stomach tumour, but jesus sure,that's no excuse for watching it happen and doing feck all.
Stevie
This just quite simply, thoroughly disgusts me.
awww. poor girl, she was only 7
exactly, Stevie, and the neighbours even complained to family services! his is just wrong.
With the billions the corporations rake in each year, there is no reason for anyone to go hungry except for greed.
There's also no reason for any child to go unwanted, except for greed and indifference.
This is utterly stupid! And tells us what is wrong with today's societies.
Bob
to my knoledge. docs get over 600 reports that they are abliedged to investigate every day. The fact tht they get that many reports and don't have enough resources to investigate them all properly is absolutely shocking.
kids just shouldn't starve, coming from a country that saw 5 famines, this has a profound effect on me, I've parked it with these awful eejits.
Stevie
I totally agree. It's not a national problem, it's a world problem. If kids are starving in one country, those in other countries who have a bounty should step up. After all, kids are our future.
This doesn't surprise me at all. Stuff like this is so common I can't even get that upset about it anymore.
I flinched when I read the topic title. no child should ever have to endure what she most likely had to go through. WTF is wrong with people these days?
her parents may have been unwell mentally, that would explain why they think they fed her, but for noone to do anything, it's just wrong.
I don't even know what to say to this,,, it's just so,,, sad! why are people like this?
That, my friend, is something I don't think any of us can answer.