How the system failed slain toddler Mason Lee

Documents tendered to the inquest into Mason Lee’s death reveal the toddler rarely had direct contact with child safety workers, and his parents concealed the true state of his living conditions.

SLAIN toddler Mason Lee was rarely seen by child safety workers and his mother and stepfather deceived their case officers, documents tendered to a court reveal.

The inquest into the death of Caboolture toddler Mason Lee was cut short last week due to the COVID-19 outbreak, but has continued in court papers, with hundreds of pages of witness statements and reports being reviewed by the coroner and lawyers.

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In June 2016, Mason’s stepfather struck the neglected boy so hard his organs ruptured, and left him to die a slow and painful death over days, refusing to seek help.

“In the middle of winter without the immediacy of love, care and affection, affectively alone Mason Jet Lee died what must have been an unimaginably painful death on the 10 June 16,” counsel assisting the coroner Jacoba Brasch told the court at the start of the inquest.

O’Sullivan and the 21-month-old’s mother Anne Maree Lee were each sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment for his manslaughter.

Caboolture toddler Mason Lee died at 21 months.

A statement tendered to the inquest by a Department of Child Safety worker who cannot be identified revealed the Ethical Standards Unit investigated DOCS workers involved in Mason’s case with allegations substantiated against eight officers.

Five of those were reprimand, one had their pay cut and another was referred to the Crime and Corruption Commission for professional misconduct.

In a report tendered to the inquest by Andrew Whittaker, the head of the Risk, Resilience and Expert Decision Making research Group at London’s South Bank University, he said a review of the case showed Mason was “hidden from view”.

“He was rarely seen, and it appears that his bedroom was not seen by a child safety worker,” Dr Whittaker said.

“When reviewing the documents, it was challenging to find references to workers observing and interacting with Mason directly.”

He said it appeared DOCS workers did not view Mason’s home beyond the main living area during visits.

“This would suggest that there was a lack of curiosity, and assumptions made that if the shared areas of the home were acceptable, the whole would be,” he said.

“In summary, Mason was on the periphery of workers’ attention rather than at the centre.”

Andrew William O'Sullivan

Anne Maree Lee

Dr Whittaker said case workers involved with the family were also “unduly optimistic” in Ms Lee’s ability to assess and manage risk to her children including Mason and that she and O’Sullivan had been “deceptive in a number of ways”.

“In the early stages, Ms Lee and Mr O’Sullivan hid the fact that they were in a relationship.

“Secondly, Ms Lee was deceptive when claiming that she sought medical attention for Mason when she did not.

“For example, Ms Lee lied about going to the doctors and being told it was nappy rash.”

He said the couple also hid the fact that Mason was spending time at Mr O’Sullivan’s house and was in his sole care.

“This included when Ms Lee met with the child safety officers in early June 2016, knowing that Mason was ill, and that Mr O’Sullivan was restricting access to him but she said nothing to them,” Dr Whittaker wrote.

He said if child safety officer’s had known Mason was in O’Sullivan’s care, they would have taken “immediate action” to retrieve him.

Dr Whittaker said it appeared child safety staff operated in a “reactive culture” and faced significant caseloads.

The inquest continues.