‘A child left to die’: Mason Lee’s death was preventable according to Coroner’s report
The Coroner has handed down its report into the death of Caboolture toddler Mason Jet Lee in 2016.
The 110-page report is scathing in its assessment of the Queensland Department of Child Safety.
22-month-old Mason was mistreated for months, and died a slow, painful death, despite being known to officials.
“The report says that the handling of Mason’s case was a failure in nearly every possible way by the relevant employees,” Nine News Queensland reporter Tessa Hardy told Ray Hadley.
“It goes on to say that had anyone from the Department actually seen Mason, had they sighted him before his death, they could have saved his life.”
Ms Hardy described the Caboolture child safety office as “chaotic” at the time, due to a lack of supervision and policy compliance under its previous administration.
“Sweeping changes” were made under current QLD Child Safety Minister Di Farmer’s oversight.
However, in the wake of two concerning cases of child abuse in the last fortnight, pressure is mounting on the Queensland government to launch a Royal Commission.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is yet to comment on the Coroner’s report.
“They didn’t cause the death, but they did nothing to prevent it,” Ray commented.
“A horrible story in the extreme: a child left to die.”
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Image: Facebook/Emmy Louise