Northern Territory’s Child Death Review Committee Disbanded, Raising Alarms Over Prevention Gaps
The Northern Territory government’s recent decision to dismantle the committee responsible for scrutinising all child deaths within the territory has drawn sharp criticism from the NT’s children’s commissioner. Experts warn this move will create significant voids in the crucial area of child death prevention policy.
The Child Deaths Review and Prevention Committee played a vital role. Its responsibilities included maintaining a comprehensive register of child deaths in the NT, conducting in-depth research, and subsequently developing policy recommendations aimed at preventing future tragedies.
Members of the now-disbanded committee have expressed shock and dismay following the announcement made by Attorney-General Marie-Clare Boothby in NT Parliament last week. Shahleena Musk, the NT Children’s Commissioner and a former member of the committee, stated she was not consulted about this significant decision.
“As the jurisdiction with the highest rate of child and infant mortality in the country, I am deeply concerned about the decision to abolish the committee,” Ms Musk said. “This decision leaves serious gaps in preventing and understanding casual factors of child deaths in many other non-reportable circumstances.”
The latest available child mortality data, from 2022, paints a stark picture. The Northern Territory’s child mortality rate stands significantly higher than all other Australian jurisdictions.
- Northern Territory Child Mortality Rate: 67.9 per 100,000 children
- National Child Mortality Rate: 28.2 per 100,000 children
This means the NT’s rate is more than double the national average. Furthermore, the territory grapples with Australia’s highest rate of infant deaths attributed to diseases and morbid conditions, including Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), with a rate of 48.5 per 100,000.
“Without the committee, I am concerned there will be serious gaps in child death prevention and related policy development,” Ms Musk reiterated, highlighting the potential consequences of the government’s action.
Clarifying Roles: Coroner vs. Review Committee
In a statement issued on Monday, Attorney-General Boothby asserted that all “reportable child deaths” are indeed investigated by the coroner. “My expectation is that all child deaths are reviewed by the coroner,” she stated. “Every single child death is a tragedy, and I couldn’t imagine anything more difficult for a family to go through.”
However, this assertion has been met with clarification from Dr. Robert Parker, the Australian Medical Association NT president and a former committee member. Dr. Parker explained that the coroner’s office and the disbanded committee served distinct, albeit complementary, purposes.
The coroner’s remit typically covers “reportable deaths.” These are generally defined as deaths that are:
- Unexpected or unnatural
- The result of an accident or injury
- Occurred while in custody
- Of an unidentified person
Dr. Parker elaborated that the committee’s focus was broader, particularly concerning health-related issues and national trends in child deaths. The committee aimed to identify overarching risks and develop strategies to mitigate them within the NT.
“The issue is not all deaths the committee reviewed are reportable deaths,” Dr. Parker explained. “Kids die from cancer and other causes and they’re not reportable deaths.”
He further emphasised that the committee delved into wider societal and health trends, allowing for potentially faster policy change recommendations compared to the often lengthy coronial inquests, which can take years to conclude.
“The other issue is the committee has a broad range of expertise on it, that I’d imagine the coroner would find it difficult to enlist,” Dr. Parker added. “That included paediatricians, it included researchers, people from the education department, people from Territory Families, all of whom would come together to bring their relevant life experience. It was a pretty minimal cost, pretty much all the committee members were Darwin locals.”
The NT Coroner’s office has been approached for comment regarding the implications of the committee’s disbandment. The move by the Northern Territory government has ignited significant concern among those dedicated to safeguarding the territory’s most vulnerable children.
