MP Connie Bonaros calls for inquiry into death of boy in Port Lincoln rubbish truck

MP Connie Bonaros says the boy killed in a Port Lincoln bin was “the face of a failed system” as she moved for an independent inquiry into the incident.

Calls have been made in state parliament to set up an independent inquiry into the shocking garbage truck death of a 13-year-old boy at Port Lincoln.

SA-Best MP Connie Bonaros said the teen was “the face of a failed and broken system”, as she moved a motion in the upper house on Wednesday afternoon, calling for a joint report into all circumstances surrounding his death.

It would probe “any failures, shortcomings or neglect of obligations and responsibilities” by any department, agency or subcontracting agency.

It would also examine any allegations of neglect, abuse, mistreatment or abuse of process by departmental staff.

Ms Bonaros also called on the State Coroner to investigate the child’s death “as a matter of urgency”.

The boy was sleeping in an industrial bin with two friends, aged 11 and 12, when the garbage truck emptied it on Napoleon Street at 5.20am on Tuesday.

One boy managed to spring free and tried to alert the truck driver, while the other fell from the bin unharmed. The 13-year-old died as it was emptied.

Ms Bonaros told parliament the child’s face “will not leave me” and his death had “rocked me to the core”.

“I am sure that there are many people who will not rest until they have answers to all of the questions that surround this horrid, tragic incident in Port Lincoln,” she said.

“The child-protection system, in this instance, has failed all three boys sleeping in the dumpster, and I want to make sure we get answers to those questions so that no other child is ever in that situation again.”

Tributes left in Port Lincoln following the tragic death of a 13-year-old boy. Picture: Robert Lang

The joint report would be completed by the Guardian for Children and Young People and the Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People and tabled in parliament within three months.

Human Services Minister Michelle Lensink confirmed in parliament that the boy who died “was known to the (Human Services) department and some of the organisations that we fund”.

A Child Protection Department spokeswoman said “a range of government and non-government services” had been supporting the boy and his family “prior to this tragic accident, and will continue to do so”.

“We respect the wishes of Aboriginal community leaders and the 13-year-old boy’s family who say now is a time for grieving, and pass on our deepest condolences to them,” she said.

It is understood the two boys are living in state care and a missing person report was lodged with police about each of them.

Friends at the scene of the incident on Tuesday. Picture: Robert Lang

Both Ms Lensink and Child Protection Minister Rachel Sanderson said they were briefed on the incident.

Ms Sanderson told parliament the death was an “absolute tragedy” and she would not speak about the case further.

“We need to respect the wishes of the Aboriginal elders and the family to not raise this issue here. This is clearly not appropriate and not necessary, and I will not be discussing any individual cases in this parliament,” she said.

“Supports continue to be provided to the family and the children involved by both government and non-government agencies.”

Last financial year, the Child Protection Department lodged more than 10,100 missing person reports about young people who had repeatedly run away from state care.

In late February, the department pledged to hold a roundtable meeting to “discuss ways to keep vulnerable children and young people safe when they go missing”.

That meeting will go ahead on Tuesday with agencies including police and Aboriginal Family Support Services. The department would not answer questions about whether it knew the whereabouts of the two surviving boys in Port Lincoln.