Kumanjayi Little Baby’s mother was not supported to protect her children while escaping domestic violence, review finds

A public memorial for Kumanjayi Little Baby outside the Old Timers Camp in Alice Springs in May, a week after the five-year-old’s body was found. Photograph: Rhett Hammerton/AAP View image in fullscreen A public memorial for Kumanjayi Little Baby outside the Old Timers Camp in Alice Springs in May, a week after the five-year-old’s body was found. Photograph: Rhett Hammerton/AAP Kumanjayi Little Baby’s mother was not supported to protect her children while escaping domestic violence, review finds Interim report not able to draw ‘nexus’ between matters referred to child protection and circumstances leading to five-year-old’s alleged murder Warning: This story contains references to Indigenous Australians who have died Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Kumanjayi Little Baby’s mother was “effectively” left alone to protect her children while also experiencing domestic violence, because child protection authorities failed to adequately assess multiple threats to her safety, a draft review has found. But the interim report, tabled in parliament on Tuesday, found that despite those conclusions, the review was unable to draw a link between the child protection referrals and the five-year-old Warlpiri girl’s death. “On the evidence provided, the review team have not been able to draw a nexus between the matters referred to DCF [the Department of Children and Families] and the circumstances leading to KLB’s [Kumanjayi Little Baby’s] abduction,” the report said. The young girl, known after her death as Kumanjayi Little Baby for cultural reasons, was allegedly abducted and murdered in April by Jefferson Lewis, a man unknown to her or her family. Her disappearance sparked an intensive five-day search before her body was found, leading to an outpouring of grief and hundreds of vigils around the country. Lewis, 47, was charged with murder and is due to face court again this month. One week after her death, the Northern Territory government announced it would commission an independent review into the family’s contact with child protection services before the girl’s death and introduce sweeping reforms to the child protection system. The interim report was released on Tuesday, the same day that changes to the Care and Protection of Children Act, over which the NT’s children’s commissioner resigned this month, passed parliament. The review found “the key issue in the KLB matter was not a lack of statutory authority or available protective mechanisms, but the timeliness and effectiveness with which risk was identified, assessed and responded to”. Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email “Despite repeated indicators of domestic and family violence, the cumulative impact of the violence and its implications for the child’s safety were not adequately recognised, and protective responses were not pursued in a timely manner,” the interim report said. The report confirmed that Kumanjay