Charlie Nowland farewelled after Munno Para tragedy

A little girl at the centre of a northern suburbs tragedy has been farewelled by her shattered family, amid emotional scenes.

When the sounds of six-year-old Charlie Nowland’s favourite songs stopped, the sobs of her distraught family filled the room at a northern suburbs funeral home on Thursday afternoon.

The girl’s small white coffin covered in flowers, her favourite hat, and the painted handprints of her siblings was ushered into the room, surrounded by her loved ones.

Dozens of family and friends packed in the room to finally farewell the little girl who died of malnutrition six weeks ago, sparking a criminal investigation.

Off to the side dozens of photos of Charlie were on display alongside one of her drawings, which she loved having displayed on the refrigerator.

Charlie’s favourite songs, Old Town Road and Dance Monkey played alongside a presentation of her family’s most cherished photos of the little girl.

Inconsolable, Charlie’s mother, Crystal Nowland, who remains at the centre of a police investigation for suspected criminal neglect, battled through tears talking about her “cheeky little monkey”.

Crystal Nowland being comforted by friend Joe at Charlie's funeral. Picture: Tom Huntley

Crystal, centre, with her friend Meegan Cox and niece Reannett Bini at Charlie's funeral. Picture: Tom Huntley

“Nothing prepares you for the death of your child,” Ms Nowland said reading from a tribute prepared by Charlie’s father, John, who watched the service via live stream from Mount Gambier prison where he is serving a five-year and nine-month sentence for stabbing Ms Nowland with a knife in front of their horrified children.

Throughout the service on Thursday, Charlie was remembered as a “cheeky, smiley” girl who loved to dance, with touching tributes from siblings bringing the room to tears.
Ms Nowland and her children wore matching tie dye hoodies to celebrate Charlie’s love of everything colourful.

“I miss your cheeky ways and not getting off your butt to get a drink or anything,” Ms Nowland read from one of her other daughters’ tributes.

“Charlie, we all love you and miss you so much but we know you’re fine because you’re up there with the cheeky monkey angels.”

Her mother reminisced about the little girl’s love of TikToks and posing for photos.

She also remembered the time the “prankster” replaced a sibling’s shampoo with super glue and the dinner plans she made with her imaginary boyfriend Jackson.

Speaking to The Advertiser after farewelling her youngest daughter, Ms Nowland fought back tears remembering Charlie.

“I want her back,” she told The Advertiser.

“I’m numb, heartbroken. I miss her so much.

“I miss her loving heart. She always knew when somebody was down or upset and she’d go up and give them a cuddle and tell them that everything would be all right and she’d sit with them and cuddle them while they were crying. She had such a kind heart.

“I miss her so much … I can’t pick one thing, I miss everything about her.

The coffin being carried out at Charlie's Funeral at Fulham Funerals, on August 25th, 2022, at Elizabeth East. Picture: Tom Huntley

“She shouldn’t be in there (her coffin), she should be out here laughing and giggling and dancing and she should be pulling pranks like she did and riding her bike and being cheeky to her dad on the phone.

“She was full of life. So full of life.

“She loved camping, she loved swimming, she loved going on our family trips, she loved doing dress ups for Halloween and all the birthday parties that the kids had.

Ms Nowland also remembered her daughter’s wicked sense of humour and her love of stirring up her siblings.

“She was a little prankster,” she said.

“She was a cheeky monkey.

Charlie’s cousin, Reanett Bini, wanted the girl to be remembered “as the funny little girl” with the “kind heart”.

“She was the loveliest little kid,” she said.

“There’s no one like Charlie.”

Ms Nowland’s neighbour and close friend, Meegan Cox, said Charlie would have loved the service on Thursday.

Another neighbour and friend, Maz Philips, said Charlie would “always be my best friend”.

“We had a bond no one could break and if we didn’t see each other for a day or two she would ask her mum if I was all right.

Charlie's Funeral at Fulham Funerals. Picture: Tom Huntley

Charlie.

“I was so blessed to have her love me and look out for me.

“Her smile was contagious and her laughter such a beautiful sound. I loved looking at her cheesy grin.

“Charlie sang and danced every chance she got … Charlie would say to me ‘Do you want me to dance for you?’ How could I say no when she loved performing and she was so good at it?”

Last month, Ms Nowland told The Advertiser she was not a “perfect mum” but loved her daughter dearly.

“I’m not a perfect mum, but I’m not the mum they’ve made me out to be,” she said a week after Charlie’s death.

“I’m not a perfect mum and I might do things arse to front, back to front, but I fed them (her children) all the time.”

On July 15 Charlie was found unresponsive in her Munno Para home and despite the efforts of Ms Nowland and then paramedics to revive the little girl, she later died at the Lyell McEwin Hospital.

Three days later SA Police announced it had established Task Force Prime to investigate her death from suspected criminal neglect.

No charges have been laid over Charlie’s death.

Ms Nowland said Charlie would be cremated and her ashes will be scattered at her favourite camping spot on the River Murray.