Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has tabled a response to parliament accepting all the coroner’s recommendations into the death of toddler Mason Lee.

June 17, 2020

The Queensland government has formally adopted every recommendation of the coroner after an inquest into the death of abused toddler Mason Jet Lee found his case was “a failure in nearly every possible way”.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the state’s child safety officers need to improve.

Mason died after his mother’s boyfriend struck him so hard in the abdomen that it ruptured the 22-month-old’s small intestine, leading to an infection.

The blow was one of many serious and painful injuries he suffered in the months before his death in June 2016.

A recent coronial inquest found the child safety department’s handling of Mason’s case was “a failure in nearly every possible way”.

Deputy state coroner Jane Bentley made six recommendations, including that the department review its policies about how it implements out-of-home care for at-risk children, and provides information to police.

She also advised Queensland Health to allow doctors to escalate child safety cases when they disagree with a decision made by the department.

Ms Palaszczuk tabled a response in parliament on Wednesday, accepting all of Ms Bentley’s recommendations.

“The department of child safety needs to do better,” she said when asked about the performance of the child safety system.

An autopsy found Mason’s internal injuries were similar to those seen after car accidents.

He had dozens of other injuries, including a fractured coccyx, extensive bruising and torn skin around his anus.

Mason’s declining health in his final days was largely ignored by his mother, Anne-Maree Lee, and her boyfriend, William O’Sullivan, who are both serving jail sentences for his manslaughter.

The family had been known to the child safety department since before Mason’s birth in 2014.

It was also aware of O’Sullivan’s “pathological jealousy” and drug use.

Mason was hospitalised in early 2016 with injuries a veteran pediatrician described as the worst he had seen.

In the months before Mason died, child safety officers saw him only once for about five minutes despite being required to carry out 24 support contacts with the neglected toddler.

The ethical standards unit later found that 21 department employees failed to carry out their duties appropriately.

Child Safety Minister Di Farmer said a report into how the staff were dealt with after the finding will be released in the coming days.

Ms Palaszczuk told parliament there are about 10,000 Queensland children in foster care.

About 75 per cent of those have one or more parents with drug or alcohol problems and 39 per cent have a parent with a history of methamphetamine abuse.

Mental illness and domestic violence are also significant factors in homes where children have been harmed, or are at risk of suffering.

“These are very complex cases,” she said.

Her government has employed an additional 500 child safety officers with a budget of $1.3 billion, she said.

There have been three independent reviews into the child safety department since Mason’s death.