How a government agency failed nine-year-old Aluel Ajak, who was killed by a car outside her home

A mum’s concerns about the safety of her autistic daughter, Aluel, went unheeded for five years before the unthinkable happened outside their government-funded home.

The scene in Werribee where nine-year-old Aleul was hit and killed by a car.

A mother begged for improved security and fencing at her public housing to make it safer for her non-verbal autistic daughter for five years before the nine-year-old climbed out a window and was hit and killed by a car.

Aluel Ajak was 13 days shy of her 10th birthday when she broke through the fly screen of her bedroom window, climbed over the fence and wandered on to the road outside her Werribee home about 9pm on July 5, 2023.

Multiple requests by her mother, Adit Deng, dating back to 2018, for the low-lying boundary fence of the Shaws Rd property to be higher, a gate to be installed, and the windows to have locks to help protect her vulnerable girl, who had escaped twice before, had been refused.

Nine-year-old Aluel wandered on to the road outside her Werribee home about 9pm on July 5, 2023. Picture: David Crosling

Even Aluel’s treating pediatrician, Dr Deborah Morawetz, from IPC Health, had written to the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing regarding the safety concerns on four occasions: January 2018; November 2018, June 2020 and July 2022.

In her first letter in 2018, she eerily stated: “The house is on a main road, which poses a significant safety concern for Aluel, who is at high risk of absconding and is very adept at climbing fences, making the chance that she could abscond and accidentally be hit by a car a real risk.”

In February 2022, Ms Deng was finally approved for an urgent transfer to a more suitable property but remained on a waiting list with more than 6000 others at the time of Aluel’s death.

A coronial investigation into the young girl’s tragic death was this week completed and exposed the missed opportunities by authorities, including Homes Victoria and the National Disability and Insurance Agency to protect the young girl.

Coroner David Ryan said Homes Victoria and the NDIA should have done more to assist Ms Deng.

The flyscreen window where Aluel broke through. Picture: David Crosling

There was “clear and unsatisfactory” delays in Homes Victoria’s processing of Ms Deng’s applications, he said.

“They were aware that Aluel was a very vulnerable child and they had been made aware of the safety risk posed by the location and configuration of her public housing,” Mr Ryan said.

“Homes Victoria had been on notice of the risk for over five years.

“The delay in Aluel’s case, given her extreme vulnerability, is unacceptable.”

He said while the transfer application was being processed, Homes Victoria could have considered applying for a permit with the local council to install a higher fence.

The coroner said the risk of misadventure would have been ‘significantly reduced’ by transfer to a new home. Picture: David Crosling

Mr Ryan said the risk of misadventure would have been “significantly reduced” by the transfer to a new home or by improvements to the existing property.

The coroner pushed for Homes Victoria to review its guidelines for the processing of priority access transfer applications.

He said cases where location and configuration of a property creates a risk of harm to an occupant should be handled with “particular urgency”.

He also recommended the NDIA liaise with Homes Victoria more promptly when processing requests for housing improvements.

Ms Deng says she had only checked on her daughter sleeping in her room at 8.30pm. Picture: David Crosling

Ms Deng, a single mother of four, paid tribute to her “beautiful girl” at the time of her death, telling the Herald Sun how she had only checked on her daughter sleeping in her room at 8.30pm.

But when she saw red and blue lights flashing outside about 30 minutes later, she feared the worst, quickly checking on her daughter again and finding her missing from her bed.

She ran outside to find Aluel receiving CPR in the middle of the road.

The driver, who was not speeding or under the influence as she drove along the 60km/h street, was not charged with any offence.

Originally published as How a government agency failed nine-year-old Aluel Ajak, who was killed by a car outside her home