Family of Hillier triple murder victims had to refund SA Government their victims of crime payments to settle lawsuit

Child protection has finally been held to account for its role in the infamous Hillier triple murders – but only after the victims’ families handed the government $40,000.

The family of two murdered children had to pay the state government $40,000 before the Department for Child Protection was held accountable for its role in their “preventable deaths”.

The Advertiser can reveal the grandparents of Amber Rose Rigney and Korey Lee Mitchell were required to hand back their victims of crime payments before receiving compensation in an out-of-court settlement.

They had received that sum from the bloated $200 million Victims of Crime fund which is designed for the specific purpose of compensating survivors and families, and for bolstering support services.

It is not used to pay out claims against DCP – whose workers, a coronial inquest found, could have but failed to act to stop the children’s “preventable deaths” at the hands of their mother’s partner.

Korey Lee Mitchell, Amber Rose Rigney and their mother, Adeline Yvette Wilson-Rigney.

Amber and Korey’s grandparents, Steve Egberts and Janet Wells, filed action in the wake of those findings, seeking to secure the financial future of their elder sibling – who survived.

They also sought to hold DCP accountable for its inaction, which was condemned by both the State Ombudsman and the Deputy State Coroner in separate findings.

Websters Lawyers, who are representing the couple, have written to Attorney-General Kyam Maher, asking him to personally intervene in the matter and have the money returned.

“Unfortunately, it was the negligence of the State which led to the unfortunate deaths of the grandchildren,” their letter, obtained by The Advertiser, says.

“The state had numerous notifications made to it that the children were at risk and failed, in breach of their duties to the children and our client, to act by removing them.

“Based on the egregious level of negligence shown by the state … we respectfully seek that the Attorney-General return the sum (of the victims of crime payments) to our clients.”

Steven Graham Peet following his arrest. Picture: Emma Brasier.

A spokesman for Mr Maher said the government “expresses its sincere condolences” to the family “for their loss”.

“Compensation payments under the Victims of Crime Act operate as a scheme of last resort and are typically made when civil claims are not available to victims,” he said.

The spokesman said the government would “carefully consider and take advice on any request that is received from the family”.

Amber and Korey were strangled to death by Steven Graham Peet, the partner of their mother Adeline Yvette Wilson-Rigney, in May 2016.

Peet also killed Ms Wilson-Rigney in the same incident, and is serving a life sentence with a 33-year non-parole period.

During Peet’s trial, the Supreme Court heard staff from DCS – then called Families SA – were outside the property either immediately before, or during, the crime.

A subsequent coronial inquest probed the involvement of DCP with the Wilson-Rigney family.

It heard a “cluster” of notifications regarding Amber and Korey’s care were received by Families SA, including two that were considered “tier 2”, between October 2015 and February 2016.

But Families SA took no action because of a lack of resources – earning the department a rebuke from the State Ombudsman over the “missed opportunities”.

Deputy Coroner Anthony Schapel found the children’s deaths were preventable, and lashed DCP for having ignored earlier coronial recommendations about keeping vulnerable children safe.

Steven Egberts, Janet Wells and their surviving grandson following the coronial inquest. Picture: Brenton Edwards

He said “unlawful practices” within DCS had continued despite coronial findings in the cases of Chloe Valentine and Ebony Napier “that identified those practices”.

In their letter, Websters Lawyers said Mr Egberts and Ms Wells received victims of crime payments because Peet pleaded guilty.

They argue that money therefore lacks any connection whatsoever to the negligence of DCP.

“The Ombudsman investigation found that the State’s failure to communicate with our client of the notifications concerning the two children’s welfare was wrong,” they wrote.

“Despite multiple findings of negligence, the state made self-serving media statements where its position regarding liability was at odds with the relevant findings of the coroner.

“After reviewing these documents it would have been clear the Crown’s negligence led to the deaths of our client’s grandchildren.”