Oakden nursing home abuse: Victims’ families wait months to know if inquests will be held

GRIEVING families of former Oakden nursing home residents will be forced to wait months to know if State Coroner Mark Johns will hold inquests into their deaths.

• Mental health watchdog wants Oakden deaths investigated
• Coroner gets extra funding, but it doesn’t cover Oakden inquests
• Cash-strapped coroner willing to hold inquests if funds are available
• Families desperate for answers

FAMILIES of former Oakden nursing home residents are furious they are being forced to wait until the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption’s report is delivered before finding out if there will be inquests into their deaths.

State Coroner Mark Johns will not decide whether Oakden inquests will be held until he reads commissioner Bruce Lander’s report, to be released on Wednesday. It’s likely families will have to wait several months for Mr Johns’ decision.

A spokeswoman for Mr Johns said it was “prudent” to wait for Mr Lander’s report to avoid duplicating another inquiry, and given the existing resources of the Coroner’s office.

Mr Johns has never previously publicly disclosed that he was waiting for Mr Lander’s report before making decisions about whether to hold additional inquests into deaths at the facility.

Alma Krecu, whose father Ermanno Serpo died in April 2016, shortly after suffering five unwitnessed falls in his last week at the facility, said it continued a pattern of families being “kept in the dark”.

Alma Krecu and Rina Serpo. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

Ermanno Serpo.

“If you’re waiting for Bruce Lander’s report, that’s fine – but be upfront with us,” she said.

“Are we any better off than we were when (former chief psychiatrist) Aaron Groves released his report 10 months ago? I don’t think so.”

Ms Krecu said she still had lots of questions about her father’s death and had long assumed it would be the subject of an inquest.

“Did the falls contribute to my dad’s death or was it something else?” she said.

Principal Community Visitor Maurice Corcoran called for further investigation of several deaths at the facility after the Oakden report was published in April last year.

He said the culture of cover up uncovered in Dr Groves’ report meant he had concerns about what had transpired in the lead up to a number of sudden deaths.

Clive Spriggs, the son of former Oakden patient Bob Spriggs, said his family just wanted answers about what had happened.

Clive and Barb Spriggs, the family of Bob Spriggs. Picture: Tom Huntley

“I had been given the impression it (an inquest) was going to happen,” he said.

“I’m hoping the ICAC inquiry ... will give us more answers but the more information the better so we can learn from our mistakes and move on.”

Mr Johns has not received specific funding to conduct Oakden inquests, with the Government previously saying he was expected to fund it from existing resources.

Mr Johns is currently holding an inquest into the 2008 death of former Oakden resident Graham Rollbusch, who died after he was attacked in his room by another resident with dementia.

The inquest began in May last year, shortly after Dr Groves’ April 2017 report into the facility that prompted its eventual closure.

A spokeswoman for Mr Johns said the inquest would hear from an academic specialist on violence between residents in aged care homes.

“It is expected that this testimony may be useful for more than the inquest already underway,” the spokeswoman said.

Premier Jay Weatherill yesterday said he welcomed Mr Lander’s report, and would not comment on whether he thought its contents would be embarrassing for the Government.

“This is an important work of government. We are looking forward to the report, looking forward to responding to it and discussing it,” he said.