SafeWork SA warned family of murdered nurse Gayle Woodford was being “re-victimised” by probe

The family of murdered outback nurse Gayle Woodford was re-victimised by South Australia’s workers safety watchdog , the state’s Victims Rights Commissioner wrote.

The family of murdered outback nurse Gayle Woodford was ­re-victimised by South Australia’s workers safety watchdog during its investigation into her death, the state’s Victims Rights’ Commissioner wrote in damning ­correspondence obtained by The Australian.

With SafeWork SA under ­attack over its treatment of the Woodford family, The Australian can reveal its executive director Martyn Campbell was warned last year that his department was subjecting the Woodfords to even more trauma through its heartless and inept management of the ­investigation into her death.

This included failing to record her death as a workplace incident, questioning whether she was even technically working on the night she was killed, and then ­failing to keep family members abreast of developments in the ­investigation, often simply not talking to them at all.

The failures were documented by one of SA’s most senior former police, one-time SAPOL assistant commissioner Bronwyn Killmier, in her new role as SA’s Commission for Victims’ Rights.

The revelation comes as SafeWork SA is under increasing fire over its decision not to prosecute the APY Lands’ Nganampa Health Service over work safety breaches arising from Mrs Woodford’s death, despite a coronial ­inquest last year finding a litany of safety failures.

In her letter to Mr Campbell, Commissioner Killmier warned that the treatment of the Woodfords by his department was not acceptable.

Gayle Woodford's husband, Keith Woodford, with Gayle's sister, Andrea Hannemann, outside of the Coroners Court after the inquest findings were handed down in 2021. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Naomi Jellicoe

She told Mr Campbell that Keith Woodford had received such little information from SafeWork SA about its investigation, that he was forced to contact his local MP, after which he received a call from SafeWork SA saying a meeting would be arranged to ­discuss progress on his late wife’s case.

“He never heard again from SafeWork SA,” Commissioner Killmier wrote.

“This was once again clearly distressing for the family.

“I am concerned about the treatment of the Woodford ­family, but also the ability of ­SafeWork SA to investigate and manage other victims appropriately, and understand the secondary injury and trauma that investigations can cause to surviving family members.

“Not returning calls and the lack of contact when advising ­victims demonstrates a lack of courtesy, respect and sympathy.

“The Woodford case has raised a number of issues over an extended period, beginning with a SafeWork assessment that Mrs Woodford was not working when murdered, leading to a failure to investigate further; a lack of investigation before the limitation of time ended, and now an investigation occurring without keeping the victims updated.”

The sentiments in the Commissioner’s letter are wholly shared by Keith Woodford, who received a phone call from Mr Campbell telling him there would be no prosecution just four days before the time limit to launch one expired.

“It was bad enough losing Gayle, but I got so distressed through my dealings with them that it made me physically sick,” Mr Woodford told The Australian. “Now, with them not mounting a prosecution, it is like losing Gayle all over again.”

In a statement to The Australian, SafeWork SA did not respond to the specifics of the claims made by Commissioner Killmier in her letter, but said it had spoken to Mr Woodford and his lawyer Peter McCusker at several stages since the coronial inquest.

“After the Coronial Findings were handed down, SafeWork SA’s Executive Director Martyn Campbell immediately contacted Mr Woodford to advise that SafeWork SA had launched an investigation,” the statement read.

“The Woodford family and Mr McCusker were then regularly engaged to keep them informed throughout the 12-month process. The wellbeing of those affected by Mrs Woodford’s tragic death were key considerations in how this investigation was conducted.”

The revelations in The Australian about the Woodford case have prompted a strong political response against SafeWork SA, which faced a damning ICAC report four years ago after bungling two high-profile cases where a construction worker was crushed to death and an eight-year-old girl killed on a sideshow ride.

SA Best MLC Connie Bonaros told The Australian that SafeWork SA was “a certifiable basket case” and needed to be reinvestigated as a matter of urgency.

“It’s proven time and time again it can’t be trusted to make critical decisions around workplace prosecutions,” she said.

“Successive governments – including this one – have been on notice for almost 10 years about the incompetencies of SafeWork SA, yet have done nothing.

“Gayle’s family has been to hell and back – and now they are confronted with this.”

Shadow Treasurer Matt Cowdery also weighed in, saying “the Woodford family deserve answers”.

“SafeWork SA’s decision not to prosecute must be so disheartening for them, given it is in stark contrast to the Coroner’s findings. The Woodford family has our support, and we will pursue this matter on their behalf with the appropriate authorities.”

Attorney-General Kyam Maher told parliament last week the legal advice to SafeWork SA in the Woodford case was “there wasn’t a reasonable prospect of a successful prosecution based on the evidence”. But he has agreed to meet with the Woodford family, saying he would act if there was any evidence that SafeWork SA’s decision should be reviewed.