THE state’s Ombudsman has condemned Families SA for failing to properly investigate almost a dozen notifications it received regarding the welfare of two Hillier children and their mother, right up until they were murdered in their home in May 2016.

Adeline Yvette Wilson-Rigney, 28, and her children Amber Rose Rigney, six, and Korey Lee Mitchell, five –who both attended Evanston Gardens Primary School – were killed by the mother’s then 30-year-old partner Steven Graham Peet at their house on Jack Cooper Drive, near Gawler.

Peet received three life sentences for the murders, and had his initial 30-year non-parole period increased to 36 years last September by the Full Court of the Court of Criminal Appeal.

A coronial inquiry into the murders is still to occur.

SA Ombudsman Wayne Lines last year launched an investigation into Families SA’s dealings with the family after receiving a complaint from the children’s paternal grandparents Steven Egberts and Janet Wells.

At the time they alleged they were not made aware of a number of notifications made to Families SA, now called the Department for Child Protection, about the children’s welfare in the months
leading up to their deaths.

This was confirmed by Mr Lines in a report handed down last week, where he revealed Families SA had received 11 notifications regarding the family between August 2008 and May 2016,  primarily concerning allegations of substance abuse, excessive physical discipline, and neglect within the family home.

None raised specific concerns about Peet.

Mr Lines stated the agency “screened out” a number of notifications, and failed to act on others – despite them warranting action – due to “resource constraints”.

Only after it received a serious notification from Mr Egberts and Ms Wells did Families SA begin an investigation – tragically, just three weeks before the murders – but by then Mr Lines  established the family situation had “spiralled out of control”, in part due to the agency’s lack of response.

The Ombudsman criticised Families SA’s approach to the question of information sharing, which he observed “prioritised considerations of privacy and confidentiality over the safety and wellbeing of the children”.

“It is…nonsensical to interpret the agency’s duty of confidentiality to preclude the sharing of information with a child’s extended family where necessary to protect the child from serious harm,” Mr
Lines stated.

“Here, again, the paramount consideration of the child’s best interests must prevail.”

Mr Lines concluded Families SA should have communicated with Mr Egberts and Ms Wells in respect of the notifications it received concerning the welfare of their grandchildren, and that its
failure to do so was wrong for the purposes of the Ombudsman Act.

“It was wrong because well-meaning individuals, who recognised the risk to which the children were exposed, acted as the law said they should and then largely saw their concerns fall on deaf ears,” he stated.

“And because the agency that was primarily responsible for ensuring the safety and welfare of the children, out of inertia or complacency or misplaced priorities, elected to do nothing rather than something.

“It was wrong because (the children) are gone and those remaining have lost all faith in the system that was set up to protect them.”

Responding to Mr Lines’ report, Department for Child Protection chief executive Cathy Taylor described the three deaths as “a great tragedy”, and said the agency “acknowledge the heartache and anger felt by the families involved”.

“Tragic events like this give us pause to reflect on how we, as a department, respond to certain situations and how we must constantly adapt our practice to best support vulnerable families and
children,” she said.

“While the person who perpetrated this horrific act was not the subject of concerns raised with the department, the family was known and we accept more could have been done to keep the children safe.

“We welcome the Ombudsman’s investigation, accept the recommendations and will implement actions as determined by the State Government in response to this very important report."