The inquest into the deaths of Darcey-Helen and Chloe-Ann Conley revealed concerning instances where the girls’ safety was compromised due to their mother, Kerri-Ann Conley’s drug use. Witnesses testified about finding the girls left in a car unattended, being driven around by Conley in the early hours of the morning, and concerns about the children’s welfare. Conley had admitted to wanting a boy during her pregnancy with Darcey-Helen and stated she would abandon a girl baby on her father’s doorstep. Nurses reported that Conley would disappear for hours at night, leaving the baby with hospital staff.
Family members raised alarm bells about Conley’s drug use and its impact on the children’s safety. Concerns were also raised about the lack of care given to the girls, with Darcey-Helen attending daycare without lunches and suffering from nappy rash. Despite these red flags, Child Safety had considered the children’s father to be Mr. Jackson, even though he was not listed on Chloe-Ann’s birth certificate. Witnesses testified that Conley had admitted to buying urine to pass drug tests in front of a Child Safety worker.
Darcey-Helen’s grandmother, Deanne Power, testified that she had warned Child Safety about Conley’s drug use, believing the toddler had drugs in her system due to her behavior. Another family member revealed that Conley had struggled to pay fees for Darcey-Helen’s care and staff had to bathe and feed the child when she had no food. Conley pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges last year and was sentenced to nine years in jail. A cousin of Mr. Jackson’s stated that despite evidence of Conley’s drug use, no full investigation was conducted by Child Safety.
The inquest will focus on the decision by Child Safety to return Darcey-Helen to her mother after she was removed from Conley’s care in November 2017. Evidence will be heard from staff at Child Safety, Metro South Health, and the police over a five-day period. Witnesses at the inquest recounted instances where they had witnessed signs of drug use in Conley and concerns about the girls’ safety being compromised. Despite the pleas from family members and the admission of drug use by Conley, no significant action was taken to investigate or protect the children from harm. The tragic deaths of Darcey-Helen and Chloe-Ann Conley highlight the devastating consequences that can occur when warning signs of neglect and drug use are not addressed effectively by child protection agencies.
