Grief of a lost mum: Friends rally for mother after Charlie death, saying the DCP did ‘nothing to support her’
Six-year-old Charlie had a digestive illness that causes malnutrition, it can be revealed, as neighbours who tried to revive the girl rally to support her distraught mum.
SA News
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Neighbours who fought to save six-year-old Charlie’s life in the minutes before her death have defended the girl’s mother, saying she was failed by the state when she needed it most.
They say the mother, Crystal Nowland, who was seen in public on Wednesday for the first time since Charlie’s death in the early hours of Friday morning, was let down by the state when she “needed help”.
Other sources told The Advertiser that Charlie, whose official cause of death was recorded as malnutrition, had been diagnosed with coeliac disease – a chronic immune and digestive disorder which is a reaction to gluten that damages the small intestine and can lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies and malnutrition.
Sources also said that a school counsellor had been to the house in recent weeks because of non-attendance by two of the children in the Munno Para home, one of whom was Charlie.
The neighbours said they had spoken to Ms Nowland who was “distraught”.
“She watched her child die … any mother who has gone through that would be traumatised and scared and confused and just heartbroken that her child, her baby that she carried for nine months is gone,” one said on Wednesday.
“It wasn’t her (Charlie’s mother), it was the state that failed.
“We’re not blaming her for what happened to Charlie … she needed help and DCP (Department for Child Protection) did nothing to support her in the ways she needed help.
“DCP are at fault. They should have done something and this is the consequence of their actions.”
On Wednesday The Advertiser revealed that Charlie witnessed her “drug-fuelled” father, John, stab her mother in a horrific attack in January 2021.
Despite the seriousness of the criminal case, which saw Charlie’s father initially charged with attempted murder, and a history of domestic violence and drug use, the young girl was not removed.
The neighbours on Wednesday said the decision to not remove Charlie after that incident was “despicable”.
“The fact that nothing was done to remove those kids in that predicament is also tragic and disgusting as well,” one said.
“We want answers for what’s happened to Charlie.”
On Wednesday Major Crime detectives and other officers searched the house Charlie lived in, collecting evidence for most of the day.
Protective security officers accompanied detectives while they spoke with neighbours in the Munno Para street.
Neighbours said they were pleased the heavy police presence in the Munno Para street where Charlie lived showed the six-year-old’s death was being taken seriously.
“It’s just another step in the process of getting answers for Charlie and that’s what we really want,” one said.
“DCP have to up their game.
“It’s not good enough to just rock up and knock on the door.
“There are no words to describe the amount of anger all of us on the street here have for the family.”
The neighbours are planning to launch a #justiceforcharlie campaign including T-shirts, stickers and banners which are being made up now.
“We want justice for Charlie,” one said.
They said the campaign’s motto would be “it’s time for change”.
“It’s time to get something done about it,” the neighbour added.
“It’s not OK that this continues down the road that it’s going down.”
Neighbours close to Charlie said they had been told detectives would begin to interview their own children, who spent time with the six-year-old, to further understand her interactions with them before her death.
Police have also taken possession of a large amount of mail from the home Charlie lived in.
Police announced the establishment of Task Force Prime to investigate Charlie’s death on Monday afternoon but no formal charges have been laid.
The neighbours had previously told The Advertiser of their traumatising ordeal trying to help Charlie’s mother desperately save her little girl.
After hearing screams of “Charlie’s not breathing” the pair, who asked to remain anonymous, rushed to the house Charlie lived in where Nowland was performing CPR on the unconscious girl.
Shortly after, paramedics arrived and after attempting to revive Charlie using a defribillator while her mother watched on, rushed her to the Lyell McEwin Hospital.
The neighbours who attempted to save Charlie said she vomited whilst they were trying to save her.
The neighbours said DCP had failed to remove her and other children in the home despite repeated reports of horrific living conditions being made.
They allege they contacted the department eight times over a three-week period in the weeks before Charlie’s death.
The Advertiser revealed on Wednesday that more than 500 case notes existed in relation to Charlie.
Neighbours said that a child wellbeing case manager visited the home and found Charlie with her eyes closed.
The worker attempted to encourage Charlie to attend school by telling her there were animals she could play with but the girl did not respond.
While the worker was talking to Ms Nowland a child in another room shouted that Charlie had vomited.
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