7 year old left to starve

Xavi6

Today's Sydney Morning Herald -

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Starvation-case-puts-pressure-on-MP/2007/11/07/1194329303047.html

Dad denies blame for starvation death

November 7, 2007 - 4:21PM

A man whose daughter allegedly starved to death insists he is not to blame.

He is also demanding authorities return his three other children - one of whom was removed from the family two years ago.

Blakely Ward has also criticised the Department of Community Services (DoCS) for not helping the family and his seven-year-old daughter Shellay, who died at her home at Hawks Nest, north of Newcastle, on Saturday.

The girl weighed only nine kilograms and apparently starved to death in her bed.

However, Mr Ward claimed the girl probably ate more than him.

"I didn't kill Shellay, no-one killed Shellay," he told the Seven Network.

"Everyone have a look into it, I'll be cooperative."

He said the seven-year-old was "very depressed" after the family moved to the town from Maroubra, in Sydney's east, and suffered from autism.

But he said DoCS was unwilling to help the family.

However, he said another daughter, five-year-old Britney, was taken from the family home by DoCS two years ago.

"No-one wanted to help, DoCS never came around ... they never helped us, all they want to do is lie," he told Network Ten.

"I want the government to go have a look into DoCS, have a look at my children and please give my Britney back to me.

"I did not kill my daughter Shellay."

Two older teenage daughters were taken into care by DoCS after Shellay's death on Saturday.

NSW Community Services Minister Kevin Greene earlier had refused to give any new details about the matter, except to confirm Shellay weighed just nine kilograms at the time of her death.

He said starvation was "very much a part of the investigation" into her death.

"I cannot comment on the matter at this stage because there are ongoing police investigations," Mr Green told reporters.

"Obviously, in my position I have to be careful not to jeopardise any police investigation."

However, Mr Greene has been forced to deny claims he fell asleep in parliament the day Shellay's death was revealed.

"It is clearly evident from the footage that I've seen that I was reading papers that are in front of me," Mr Greene said of his actions during a speech by Labor MP Alison Megarrity.

"I didn't doze off".

But, Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell said Mr Greene clearly appeared to be "snoozing".

"But, I'm more concerned about him being asleep at the head of a department at which children seem to be dying on a too-regular basis," Mr O'Farrell told reporters.

Meanwhile, Mr Greene said an investigation would be launched into claims two female DoCS workers collected the wrong girl from a Cowra school and took her on an outing without explaining what they were doing.

The girl, who had the same name as another child at the school, was upset and now has trouble sleeping, Macquarie Radio reported.

The mother has reportedly lodged a complaint with police.

DoCS released a statement outlining their regret and apologies to the Cowra family.

"This disappointing incident occurred when a new contact worker arranged to collect a child from a Cowra school.

"The contact worker mistakenly collected the child from a class being taught by a casual teacher."

DoCS has met with the family and offered counselling or any support needed.

DoCS said staff will meet with the school and the family to discuss the mix-up to make sure it does not happen again.

I was really shocked when I heard this yesterday. How social services could justify leaving a kid in the hands of a parent who is clearly unfit to look after them is beyond. The lack of emotion on the father's face on the television interviews was unbelievable. He didn't seem upset at all.

Fwaggle

Xavi6 wrote: »

I was really shocked when I heard this yesterday. How social services could justify leaving a kid in the hands of a parent who is clearly unfit to look after them is beyond. The lack of emotion on the father's face on the television interviews was unbelievable. He didn't seem upset at all.

The cheek of him to demand to get his other kids back. RIP to the poor wee soul and the father should be castrated or something so he doesn't subject any more poor kids to his "parenting". :mad:

_blank_

from Maroubra, in Sydney's east,

That's a really strange suburb of Sydney.

It looks really plush and well-to-do, but one fo the most notorious Sydney Gangs is from there, the Bra Boys.

I met a few people form there, they are like the angled cap wearing scum we have in this country.

Outer Bongolia

Christ on a bike

AlmightyCushion

DesF wrote: »

It looks really plush and well-to-do, but one fo the most notorious Sydney Gangs is from there, the Bra Boys.

They sound more like a bunch of cross dressers than a hardened criminal gang.

Xavi6

Just a quick update for anyone interested -

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Shellays-parents-wanted-for-her-murder/2007/11/16/1194766950522.html

Shellay's parents wanted for her murder

November 16, 2007 - 4:50PM

The parents of a seven-year-old girl who allegedly starved to death are wanted for her murder, NSW police say.

Shellay Ward's nine kilogram body was found in her home at Hawks Nest, north of Newcastle, on November 3. It is alleged she died of starvation.

Police on Friday issued warrants for the arrest of her parents, Blakeley Ward, 46, and Sharyn Ward, 37, who they said were wanted for "the offence of murder".

"It is alleged they were involved in the death of a girl this year in the Lower Hunter," police said in a statement.

Detectives believe the wanted couple could be in Sydney, travelling in a 1990 model red Holden Calais with NSW registration AI 45 JH.

They were checking a report that Blakeley Ward was seen waiting for a train at Wynyard railway station on Friday morning, dressed in black and carrying a black bag.

A police spokeswoman could not comment on a Seven Network report that police had been negotiating with the Wards' solicitors for the couple to give themselves up and that those talks broke down on Friday afternoon.

Police have released photographs of the Wards in the hope someone would turn them in, and they urged anyone who saw the car or who could assist police in locating Blakeley and Sharyn Ward to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

The Ward family had been known to the Department of Community Services (DoCS) for 14 years and one of Shellay's siblings was taken into care two years ago.

Shellay had never attended school and neighbours near her former home in the Sydney suburb of Matraville say she was frequently locked in her excrement-covered room, which was strewn with rubbish.

An anonymous former foster carer emailed Sydney radio to reveal Shellay "was only seen out of the house once in five years".

Her parents have denied any wrongdoing and said their autistic daughter was depressed but could not have starved to death because she had a big appetite.

"I didn't kill Shellay, no one killed Shellay," Mr Ward told the Seven Network a little over a week ago.

Police interviewed Sharyn Ward immediately after discovering Shellay's body but did not arrest her.

They returned to the house a number of times during the investigation.

Shellay's death is one of a string of incidents that has threatened to engulf DoCS in controversy in recent weeks.

The body of toddler Dean Shillingsworth, also known to the department, was stuffed in a suitcase in a Sydney pond one month ago.

Two other children on DoCS files, a 14-month-old boy and a three-year-old girl, suffered severe injuries in alleged assaults over the past fortnight.

A number of independent inquiries into Shellay's death are currently underway.

So now the supposedly distraught parents have done a runner, abondoning the rest of their children.

Dudess

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

They sound more like a bunch of cross dressers than a hardened criminal gang.

Heh heh...