- Luke's death: a tragic death of a boy lost in foster care
- By Caroline Overington
- The Australian
- 17/03/2009 Make a Comment (1)
- Contributed by: The Rooster ( 258 articles in 2009 )
* Boy died of head injuries in foster care
* Was with 74-year-old woman, three children
* Father says department failed his son
A TODDLER in foster care died of unexplained head injuries after his father had pleaded with authorities to move him.
The boy, Luke, died on January 12 after living with a 74-year-old pensioner who also looked after three other children, all of whom were also state wards, The Australian reported.
Luke's mother and father were drug addicts. But his father, who cannot be named, said he knew from supervised visits that the house Luke lived in was overcrowded and that the carer could not look after four children at once.
A coronial inquest is being held into Luke's death. He slipped into a coma after suffering head injuries and died six days later in his father's arms.
Luke's father told the coroner he did not believe his son was properly cared for - neither by the 74-year-old foster parent or by Queensland's Department of Child Safety. He said he tried to have Luke moved elsewhere five times before he died.
"I disagreed with the decision to place my child with a 74-year-old woman who was already burdened with three older children, all at home on school holiday," he wrote to the coroner.
"This would make it virtually impossible to show the care and attention needed for a two-year-old."
He said Luke was "constantly" injured while at the home, including severe bruising to his head and body and a burn to his hand.
He said he pointed out scratches on Luke's face to the DOCS supervisor on his last visit with his son. He said Luke's foster carer told him Luke also had bruises on his buttocks from jumping off his bed and that "she could not control him".
A few days later, Luke was in the hospital in a coma. "They (the department) didn't even have the decency to call me the night it happened," the father said.
The department's director-general Norelle Deeth said she could not discuss specific cases, but added: "It must be remembered that children are only removed from their families ... because the parents abuse or neglect them."
She said the circumstances of Luke's death would be extensively examined.
* Was with 74-year-old woman, three children
* Father says department failed his son
A TODDLER in foster care died of unexplained head injuries after his father had pleaded with authorities to move him.
The boy, Luke, died on January 12 after living with a 74-year-old pensioner who also looked after three other children, all of whom were also state wards, The Australian reported.
Luke's mother and father were drug addicts. But his father, who cannot be named, said he knew from supervised visits that the house Luke lived in was overcrowded and that the carer could not look after four children at once.
A coronial inquest is being held into Luke's death. He slipped into a coma after suffering head injuries and died six days later in his father's arms.
Luke's father told the coroner he did not believe his son was properly cared for - neither by the 74-year-old foster parent or by Queensland's Department of Child Safety. He said he tried to have Luke moved elsewhere five times before he died.
"I disagreed with the decision to place my child with a 74-year-old woman who was already burdened with three older children, all at home on school holiday," he wrote to the coroner.
"This would make it virtually impossible to show the care and attention needed for a two-year-old."
He said Luke was "constantly" injured while at the home, including severe bruising to his head and body and a burn to his hand.
He said he pointed out scratches on Luke's face to the DOCS supervisor on his last visit with his son. He said Luke's foster carer told him Luke also had bruises on his buttocks from jumping off his bed and that "she could not control him".
A few days later, Luke was in the hospital in a coma. "They (the department) didn't even have the decency to call me the night it happened," the father said.
The department's director-general Norelle Deeth said she could not discuss specific cases, but added: "It must be remembered that children are only removed from their families ... because the parents abuse or neglect them."
She said the circumstances of Luke's death would be extensively examined.
Source: https://www.news.com.au/story/0,,25198760-2,00.html
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