12 YO Girl Dies in the Dirt

This is the tragedy of modern australia. This young girl was being cared for by her aunts, and she was ill with a bone infection caused by a broken thigh bone. Instead of taking her to the doctor, they beat her with a stick and when she became to ill to walk to the toilet and soiled herself, they through her outside, and she died from heart failure, caused by a massive infection in her system. As if all of this isnt bad enough, they were found not guilty of causing her death.. And to make it even worse, child welfare officers were there the day before she died, and she was laying on the floor of the kitchen crying, unable to move, and they did NOTHING.

And the reason, this family is aboriginal. I have previously said on here that we allow a lower standard of care for our aboriginal children than for all other nationalities here in Australia. And now, even the court does it.

This poor girl suffered enormous pain for weeks before she died, and knew no love from those supposed to be caring for her, and it resulted in her death. A completely preventable death. She didnt need to die, even had she been taken to the doctor on the day she died, she would most likely have survived. Tell me, would you take your 12 yo to the doctor if she could walk properly and was sick and soiled herself, or would you beat her with a stick and throw her out in the backyard, without food or water, or even any protection from the sun. And we know the answer to that, yet the jury found them not guilty because she apparently showed no signs of being ill, other than soiling herself and unable to walk. As if.

http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2008/08/16/5253_ntnews.html

Foster carers found not guilty

PHOEBE STEWART

August 16th, 2008


FREE: Foster carers Toni Melville and Denise Reynolds leave the Surpreme Court yesterday after being found not guilty. Picture: Dani Gawlik


A DISTRAUGHT mother tried to confront jurors yesterday after they found two foster carers not guilty of killing her 12-year-old daughter.

Lyn Melville sobbed and had to be held back by a security guard outside the Territory Supreme Court.

It was the second time she had burst into tears during the two-and-a-half week trial, after hearing that her child "died in the dirt'' from a treatable bone infection, which had slowly poisoned her for weeks until her heart stopped on July 12 last year.

She had earlier yelled abuse at the jurors and stormed out of the courtroom after sisters Toni Melville, 43, and 42-year-old Denise Reynolds were cleared of manslaughter.

The prosecution had argued the women should have known that Deborah Melville, who had been soiling herself and unable to walk properly, needed medical treatment as she was at risk of dying.

The sisters, who had walked into court smiling, were stone-faced when the verdict was read out.

A woman sitting in court said it was a "sensible decision. That was the right thing to do,'' she said nodding.

But many people in the public gallery let out a gasp of shock when the verdict was announced.

Justice Trevor Riley said it had been a "long, hard and distressing case'' for the jury.

He told them not to have any "second thoughts'' about their decision, handed down after six hours of deliberations.

Dr Terence Sinton, who conducted the autopsy on Deborah, told the court last week the girl had 1.5litres of pus in her leg and had suffered the worst bone infection he had ever seen.

The post-mortem examination found septicaemia led the girl to have a heart attack, caused by osteomyelitis, or a bone infection, stemming from a fracture in her thigh.

Defence lawyer Jon Tippett QC told the jury the women thought it was a sports injury that would get better with exercise.

Lets even take into account the lame excuse that they thought it was a sports injury. She had a broken thigh, and for weeks couldnt walk. If it was just a sports injury and was going to heal itself, she would have started to walk in a couple of day.

I am so disgusted by this case, I dont even have words for it.

The poor child doesnt even get justice in death.

And I have wept quite a few tears over this poor girl. Such a waste, such complete disregard for human life, and by her own family. As well as the child services officers that were there the day before she died. How can they live with themselves. One would hope the officers are at the very least reprimanded. They all failed her. Poor poor child.

Diane

Is there a possibility of going up in the judicial system and look for a proper sentence? Legally speaking, financially may be another hurdle.

Diane,

Thats a really sad sad case.That little girl didn't need to die. I hope that these two women are haunted by what they done to her for the rest of their lives.The only comfort for others is that at least she isn't being mistreated as she WAS.
For another human being to stand by and watch another die in pain as they have is beyond me.I wouldn't watch a animal die in pain let alone another person.
How can the courts say they are innocent.It isn't natural for a person to soil themselves without there being a medical reason..whether that be a physical one or mental one........ so regardless of whether they bloody dam well thought she had a sports injury they still should have helped her and got her the medical attention she obviously needed.

A old woman in a home died from what was thought to be natural old age causes. It turned out she was poorly and needed attention...she could have survived. So just because a person feels all is well,doesn't mean it is.And for an able bodied person to suddenly have problems walking resulting in them soiling themselves should raise alarm bells in a normal person...they beat her???That in itself should carry a jailable sentance??Pfffft sorry but these two have just got away with murder.