The Broken Trust investigation has uncovered new and previously unreported evidence about child deaths in Queensland, including the case of baby Justin, a five-month-old who sustained catastrophic head injuries while in his father's arms. An autopsy revealed dozens of older injuries, including fractured ribs, yet no one has been charged and no inquest has been held into his death.
Missed Opportunities and Systemic Failures
In March 2017, the death of baby Justin set in motion a frantic few days. Television cameras and uniformed police camped outside the old weatherboard house in Yeppoon where the infant suffered fatal injuries. His father, an intravenous drug user with a history of paranoia, alleged child abuse, and domestic violence, claimed he fell while holding the boy. Detectives doubted this explanation and treated the matter as a possible homicide.
Child safety officers found records showing serious concerns raised about the boy two months earlier but never formally investigated. Politicians in Brisbane pointed fingers about what went wrong. Then the case of baby Justin disappeared.
Internal Documents Reveal Critical Gaps
Internal documents reveal that police sent a child protection detective to investigate concerns about Justin two months before his death, but information about the visit was not entered into police systems, and child safety authorities were not informed. Guardian Australia has spoken to child safety workers, police, witnesses, and experts who have significant concerns about why the central Queensland coroner has never held an inquest.
On 10 January 2017, an anonymous notifier emailed child safety authorities about Justin, alleging visible injuries, severe underweight, and neglect. The child safety department conducted an initial assessment but only opened an investigation on 6 March, almost two months later, by which time Justin was on life support.
Autopsy Findings Highlight Abuse
Justin's autopsy found catastrophic head injuries, a broken left femur, and fractures to 17 ribs, all highly suspicious for non-accidental injury. The pathologist noted the injuries could not be accounted for by the father's described fall. Despite this, no charges were laid, and the coroner declined to hold an inquest.
Former detective Kate Pausina described the case as a perfect storm of failures and missed opportunities. She said three departments—child safety, police, and health—each held information that could have prompted urgent action but failed to act. The lack of an inquest, she said, reinforces the victim's lack of importance in society.
The Queensland Police Service stated that detectives conducted a full investigation and referred the matter to the coroner. However, the coroner with carriage of the case, David O'Connell, did not respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for the coroner's court said coroners speak through their findings and do not comment on cases.
Guardian Australia does not suggest Justin's parents should have been criminally charged, but sources say the case highlights systemic failures that allowed a vulnerable child to fall through the cracks.
