Maud Steenbeek’s son calls for urgent mental health system reform

The son of a woman who was bashed to death by her neighbour says he lost his mum due to “a gap” in Victoria’s mental health system as he calls for urgent changes.

Xochil O’Neill was found not guilty of murder due to mental impairment. Picture: Ian Currie

The son of murder victim Maud Steenbeek said he does not resent his mother’s killer but that the state’s mental health system needs urgent repair.

Luke Zecevic, one of Ms Steenbeek’s two sons, made a passionate submission to the Coroner’s Court on Monday about emergency response failures and inadequate forensic examinations linked to his mother’s brutal death in January 2020.

Ms Steenbeek, 61, was bashed to death with a wooden paddle by her neighbour Xochil O’Neill after he broke into her home while she was on a video call to a relative.

O’Neill was found not guilty of the murder due to mental impairment and was ordered to undertake a 25-year custodial supervision order.

Mr Zecevic said he has found peace with his mother’s killer but that the mental health system must change to prevent future tragedies.

“I want the best for him. I don’t have resentment toward him or anything,” he told the court.

“What I struggle with is the (mental health) system that is meant to be doing something but is not doing it to their maximum ability,” he said.

Maud Steenbeek died in a home invasion in 2020. Picture: Supplied

Mr Zecevic told Coroner Simon McGregor multiple neighbours reported to police that O’Neill was trying to break into their houses before eventually entering his mother’s home and killing her.

He told the court the first of those calls was made up to 40 minutes before his mother’s murder and that police did not respond until after it was too late.

Mr Zecevic also criticised the limited toxicology examination carried out on O’Neill after he was arrested.

He said only four or five drugs were tested for and that future examinations should be widened to include more substances, particularly synthetic drugs which have a known psychotic effect.

“My gut feeling is that this was a drug-induced psychosis,” Mr Zecevic said.

“If it was, then the whole basis of the court outcome is entirely wrong as you can’t use a drug-induced psychosis as a defense and plead not guilty to murdering somebody.”

Coroner McGregor said as part of his investigation he would endeavour to have O’Neill’s remaining forensic samples tested for a wider range of substances.

Mr McGregor said he would also look into issues with mental health gaps and the emergency response system.

Mr Zecevic said: “I’ve witnessed the gaps. I lost my mum to the gap.”

“Our mental health and drug system in Melbourne is bad and it’s getting worse.”

Ms Steenbeek’s sons Luke and Adam now run a mental health and disability support foundation called Maudcare in honour of their mother’s memory.