Probes into girl's 'starvation' death

THREE separate investigations have begun into the death of a seven-year-old who weighed just 9kg when she died in her bed on Saturday.

THREE separate investigations have begun into the death of seven-year-old Shellay Ward, who weighed just 9kg when she died in her bed at the weekend.

Last night, her father denied starving Shellay at the family’s home in the NSW mid-north coast town of Hawks Nest.

But he confirmed police had told him she died from starvation and dehydration.

It emerged yesterday that the seven-year-old had been under the supervision of the NSW Department of Community Service for most of her short life.

Community Services Minister Kevin Greene confirmed that the Wards, a family of five, were "known to DOCS".

"Action has been taken to keep the young girl's siblings safe," Mr Greene said.

Homicide detectives have been called in to investigate, with the help of sex crime and child protection officers. The NSW Government yesterday announced that the state Ombudsman would conduct an independent review of the case, in addition to a DOCS investigation.

Police confirmed the girl's parents had been interviewed but would not comment further.

Yesterday, questions were being asked how such a death could happen in Australia.

NSW Premier Morris Iemma said he could not come to terms with "a child starving to death in our community".

"We're a modern, prosperous state," Mr Iemma said. "I know there are pockets of severe disadvantage but I shake my head that a child dies, allegedly, through starvation."

Shellay was found dead at 1pm on Saturday in her home at Hawks Nest by emergency services workers who answered a triple-0 call.

Shellay's father, Blakeley Ward, rejected suggestions that his daughter had starved to death.
"Starvation? We didn't starve her," Mr Ward said. "She was born small. She was a tiny kid."

Mr Ward told Sydney's The Daily Telegraph that police who attended the scene informed him his daughter had died from starvation and dehydration.

"I don't know how this can be," he said. "She'd eat like anything."

Mr Ward said he and his wife, Sharon, were loving parents who lived for their three children.

"I love my kids to death, all three of them, and now one of them is gone," he said. "Someone help me find out what happened to my little girl."

Mr Ward said his daughter had autism and had been ill recently.

He said he had called police after his wife found Shellay had stopped breathing. When police arrived at the house, Shellay was dead.

A police spokeswoman would not confirm the cause of the girl's death, and the results of a post-mortem examination are expected this week.

The girl's death will sharpen the focus on DOCS, which is under pressure following claims it failed to intervene in the case of Dean Shillingsworth, a two-year-old whose body was found last month stuffed in a suitcase that had been dumped in a duck pond in Ambarvale, in Sydney's southwest.

Dean, who was in the custody of his mother at the time of his death, was also well known to DOCS, having had various carers over the course of his short life.

Dean's mother, Rachel Pfitzner, has been charged with the boy's murder.

In a NSW Ombudsman's annual report released last month, it was revealed that more than 100 children died in the state last year despite the fact they or their families had been reported to DOCS in the three years before their deaths.

Mr Greene declined today to reveal the extent of understaffing at DOCS.

He did say the department was looking to hire 275 caseworkers over the financial year, with 80 of those planned for the region that includes Hawks Nest.

Asked three times about staffing, his response to Southern Cross Broadcasting was, ``We'll never have enough staff.''

Ombudsman Bruce Barbour said the external investigation into Shellay’s case had already begun.
``We will pursue all necessary avenues of inquiry to ensure a thorough and proper examination of the circumstances leading to the tragic death of this child,'' Mr Barbour said.

With AAP