Coroner praises mother who drowned toddler

A mother who drowned her toddler in the bath has been praised for displaying dignity in the face of her own suffering.

Magistrate Harriet Grahame. Picture: Tracey Nearmy

A mother who drowned her toddler in the bath while suffering an acute psychotic episode has been praised by the NSW coroner for displaying dignity in the face of her own suffering.

The mother, who cannot be named, drowned the child, who was described in court documents as “cheeky” and “intelligent” in September 2016.

She was found not guilty by reason of mental impairment when the case went to trial in 2017.

In handing down her findings in the matter on Monday, NSW Deputy State Coroner Harriet Grahame said the child’s mother, whom she named SP, had “ongoing love” for the toddler who is known as AP.

Ms Grahame said SP had “spoken candidly of her terrible loss”.

“It is clear that AP will always be missed by SP and her family,” she said.

“No-one who observed the inquest or who was familiar with the evidence would have any doubts about SP’s love for AP, or for her profound and ongoing sorrow.”

The court heard that the mother, who had a long history of mental illness, had given birth to twins in 2010.

They were removed from her care by the Department of Family and Community Service and Justice.

She became pregnant with AP in 2013 and drowned the child, who was two years and seven months old, in September 2016.

The court heard the mother’s GP had tried to alert a mental health team to a “dangerous decline” in the mother’s condition, just two days before the child died.

The mental health service failed to respond.

“This grave omission occurred against the background of other failures of support,” Ms Grahame said.

The mother “attended the inquest from custody each day. She was clearly motivated to honour the memory of her beloved child and to be part of a review which might strengthen support for other mothers with mental health needs.

“I thank her for her generous and dignified approach to participating in these proceedings.”

The Coroner found the mother “did not receive the support she needed at a critical time in the lead up to AP’s death”.

She said many the many professionals who tried to help the mother were often “working in isolation” and “despite the best of intentions, (can fail) to grasp the complete picture of a person’s needs”.

The court also heard that the Department had closed the mother’s file February 2015.

This was after the Department had received a report that the mother “was experiencing delusions, hallucinations and a degree of paranoia and that she had stopped taking her medication.”

The mother stated “she would prefer to have the support of DCJ as it was a “safety net” for her.”

Ms Grahame said “the file should not have been closed” since the closure “resulted in a significant reduction of the amount of support.”

At the time of the little girl’s birth, her mother had already experienced “multiple past traumas: she had experienced domestic violence from the father of her twins, her twins had been removed from her care, she had been homeless, and she had reason to fear AP would be removed by DCJ. She had dealt with deteriorating mental health since the age of 15, experienced the separation of her parents and witnessed domestic violence and alcohol abuse within the home.”

Her GP’s urgent attempt to get help just days before the child died was “somehow lost or ignored”.

“Her mother was mentally ill and not responsible, at law, for her actions,” the coroner said.

“Once again, I offer my sincere condolences to (the mother) and her family. I acknowledge that the pain of losing a loved child in these circumstances is profound and that their grief is ongoing.

“I am so sorry that (she) was not given the help she needed at this critical time.”