The young woman gave a statement at the conclusion of an inquest into the death of her whānau member, a 12-year-old girl she believed would still be alive today had someone listened and stepped in.
The girl, who cannot be named, died by suspected suicide on June 27, 2017.
Two years after her death, Dana Bernadette Taylor was sent to prison for the physical and psychological abuse of the girl and two other children, which spanned 2011 to 2017.
For legal reasons, the children’s connection to Taylor cannot be reported.
Today, the now young woman, one of the children at the centre of the earlier prosecution, said they were often left hungry and to care for themselves in an unsafe environment.
“We spent much of our childhood speaking with teachers and social workers, yet we did not receive the protection or intervention we needed,” she said in her statement, read by counsel to assist the coroner Rebekah Jordan.
“I remember [the 12-year-old] trying on numerous occasions to seek help in the period before her death.
“In my experience, her concerns were not properly heard or acted on.”
She believed Oranga Tamariki failed them, saying social workers often visited them at home and at school.
“Our living conditions were apparent from the state of the house and from the condition of us as children.
“We frequently had head lice or dirty clothing and had poor hygiene because we had not been taught or supported to care for ourselves properly.
“There were three children living in neglect, and I struggle to understand how this was not recognised as requiring urgent action.”
The young woman said the warning signs were clear and the unsafe circumstances were visible.
“I believe that if someone listened to [the 12-year-old] and acted appropriately, she may still be alive today.”
She believed police also failed them, recalling having conversations as a child with police officers about their living situation.
“No meaningful action was taken to improve our safety or wellbeing.”
She said she spoke not to avoid the complexity of what happened but to ensure their experiences were fully acknowledged.
The young woman hoped the inquest would lead to change for other families in similar circumstances, but said it was “gravely disappointing” it had taken nine years for someone to listen and take action.
Counsel to assist the coroner, Rebekah Jordan, read the young woman’s statement on her behalf. Photo / Tara Shaskey
On Monday, after a lengthy delay, an inquest into the girl’s death began in New Plymouth before Coroner Heather McKenzie.
The inquest was not to determine the cause of her death, which has not been disputed, or the events in the lead-up.
It has instead focused on agencies’ response to the girl’s living circumstances at the time, and why more action was not taken before she died.
Today, Coroner McKenzie spoke directly to the young woman, acknowledging the delay in the inquest.
“It is too long. And I apologise on behalf of this court.”
Fighting back tears, the coroner said the young woman’s words were powerful and that she had given the girl a voice.
“You’ve brought [her] to us.”
On hearing that the young woman had flourished in recent years and was moving into a vocation that would involve her helping others, the coroner became emotional.
“I’m proud of you. I really am,” she told her.
Family harm events
Earlier, Detective Senior Sergeant Louise Prendergast, who provided the police report to the coroner and was involved in Taylor’s prosecution, said police recorded the girl had been exposed to 22 family harm episodes in her lifetime.
She was a known victim on three occasions.
Prendergast, who found police dealt with the case appropriately, said police were not aware of the girl being a suicide risk.
Coroner Heather McKenzie is presiding over an inquest into the death of a 12-year-old Taranaki girl, who died in 2017 by suspected suicide. Photo / Tara Shaskey
She said the girl displayed escalating antisocial behaviour before her death and her whānau was hesitant to engage with police.
Under questioning, Prendergast acknowledged there had been a report the girl may have been part of a suicide pact.
She said it was investigated but never went further.
Concern recorded to different child’s file
Yesterday, the inquest heard the girl was allowed to remain at home under a safety plan involving teachers, whānau, neighbours and calling 111 if she felt unsafe.
Coroner McKenzie asked an Oranga Tamariki supervisor, who cannot be named, whether it was appropriate to place such responsibility on a child.
The supervisor, who managed the girl’s key social worker, said the girl was considered capable of seeking help and “self-protecting” to some degree.
She defended the agency’s handling of the case, saying concerns raised by the girl’s principal and a senior constable on May 11, 2017, received “critical attention”.
The girl made a serious allegation, which triggered a Child Protection Protocol (CPP) response. Police later closed that complaint because of a lack of evidence.
The inquest heard a further report of concern was made to Oranga Tamariki about the girl days before she died, with information that would have again triggered a CPP response.
Inadvertently, the concern was put on a different child’s file. It included allegations of physical abuse, which the supervisor said was new information and would have commenced a joint investigation with police within 24 hours.
But the concern was not actioned.
Evidence also focused on the girl’s mental health. Despite disclosures of self-harm and thoughts of “ending it all”, she was assessed as having a low level of psychological distress and a low suicide risk.
The inquest is being heard in the New Plymouth District Court. Photo / Tara Shaskey
The supervisor acknowledged the assessment appeared difficult to understand in hindsight but said staff acted on the information available at the time.
“It seems crazy to say that now, doesn’t it? Given what we know now.”
She said social workers considered the girl’s history, signs of cumulative harm and the information they had access to, but did not have the benefit of all information held by other agencies.
The inquest heard the key social worker did not review the girl’s history of concerns to Oranga Tamariki, which were available at the time of the May 2017 report.
The supervisor said the social worker was usually thorough in considering chronology.
The inquest heard the girl’s Oranga Tamariki records dated back to before she was born, with “significant long-term concerns” being recorded.
In May 2017, the key social worker was managing 42 clients when the ideal number was fewer than half that.
While the inquest heard police and Oranga Tamariki worked closely when issues reached the CPP threshold, the supervisor said that, generally, “two lines” of communication were happening.
That included the girl’s principal, a senior constable and the girl’s resource teacher, and not all reached Oranga Tamariki, she said.
“A lot of people had a lot of information that wasn’t being shared.”
The coroner pressed the supervisor on whether Oranga Tamariki was proactive in requesting more information.
“Yes, except we don’t know who has it,” she responded.
Asked what could make a difference, the supervisor said she wished key agencies, including police, health, education and child protection services, had access to a shared information system.
Police staff affected by ‘tragedy’
Detective Sergeant David Beattie, of the New Plymouth police family harm unit, carried out an internal review of the unit’s involvement after the girl’s death.
He told the inquest the case had deeply affected staff.
“It’s just a tragedy.”
He suggested the serious allegation the girl disclosed in May 2017 may have been a tipping point, saying if the allegation was true the girl may have felt isolated and betrayed when Taylor allegedly did not believe it.
Beattie also highlighted alcohol abuse as a significant factor in many family harm cases, saying its impact on children was often underestimated.
The inquest, which called several New Zealand Police and Oranga Tamariki witnesses and the girl’s resource teacher to give evidence, concluded today.
Coroner McKenzie will release her findings at a later date.
Tara Shaskey is an assistant editor and reporter for the Open Justice team. She joined NZME in 2022 and has worked as a journalist since 2014.
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