Chloe Valentine’s grandmother calls for independent review of Families SA involvement with Rigney-Wilson children

CHLOE Valentine’s grandma has called for an independent investigator to examine Families SA’s involvement in the lives of the two Hillier children, murdered with their mother last week.

Corey Rigney-Wilson, 5, and Amber, 6, who were found dead on a Hillier property.

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AN independent investigator should examine the involvement of child protection agency Families SA in the lives of two children murdered alongside their mother last week, Belinda Valentine says.

However, Child Protection Reform Minister John Rau says it is appropriate for the State Government “to vacate the space until the police have done their work” investigating the deaths of Adeline Yvette Rigney-Wilson and her children Amber, 6, and Corey, 5.

Ms Valentine — the grandmother of Chloe Valentine, who died in the care of her neglectful mother and her then partner in 2012 — told The Advertiser that delaying an evaluation would leave “a vacuum for more children to suffer”.

Belinda Valentine, with Chloe Polkinghorne.

She is asking for an independent review of Families SA’s role in the lives of Amber and Corey, who were killed at a property at Hillier last Monday.

Steven Graham Peet, 30, has been charged with their murders, and that of their mother.

Ms Valentine said she was not calling for sensitive case information to be made public but did not believe the government agency should have to wait for a police investigation to finish before evaluating its involvement with the family — such as any notifications which may have been made about the children.

“No one is wanting to impede a murder investigation,” she said.

“But we need to know what role Families SA played in these children’s lives so any failings can be reflected on.

“Were there missed opportunities?

“If we don’t have the information, we can’t make changes.

“If we’re vacating this space we’re creating a vacuum for more children to suffer.”

Adeline Yvette Rigney-Wilson . Source: Facebook

Mr Rau told State Parliament that he was “satisfied that the matter is presently being dealt with appropriately”.

“Once we all know what the facts are in this case we can then analyse what, if any, errors were made,” he said.

“We need to understand the facts before we can go off and have an intelligent conversation about what factors, if any, were responsible for this, and how, if at all — and I emphasise if at all — any human action, by anybody, at any time, might have actually had the effect of preventing these events.”

Ms Valentine said the Hillier case should also be a prompt for the Government to reconsider its position on a Commissioner for Children in SA.

Both Labor and Liberal pledged to establish the role during the 2014 election campaign but disagreed over whether the role should include investigative powers.

Child Development Minister Susan Close has postponed any decision until after Royal Commissioner Margaret Nyland delivers her recommendations from an inquiry into reforming the child protection system in early August.