Toddler’s Tragic Death at Darwin Childcare Centre Ruled ‘Preventable’ as Family Demands Justice with ‘Ebony’s Law’
- A 22-month-old girl died after becoming trapped on a loop-top fence at a childcare centre outside Darwin last year
- The Northern Territory Coroner has found the death was preventable, citing a “systemic failure” by the centre and regulator
- The family is calling for “Ebony’s Law” to ban loop-top fencing and introduce a “three strikes rule” for centres in breach of supervision obligations
The heartbreaking story of a toddler’s tragic death at a childcare centre outside Darwin has sparked outrage and calls for change. Ebony Thompson, just 22 months old, died after becoming trapped on a loop-top fence at the Humpty Doo Community & Child Care Centre on August 31 last year. A coronial inquest has found her death was preventable, ruling that a “systemic failure” by the centre and regulator contributed to the tragedy.
In a damning assessment, Coroner Elisabeth Armitage identified a critical “yard check” omission in the centre’s “active supervision strategy” as a key factor in the accident. She also slammed the centre’s response to an earlier incident, in which a child wandered through an open gate into the car park, for failing to address shortcomings in the strategy.
The coroner’s findings revealed that Ebony was trapped on the fence for at least four minutes, unseen by staff, after trying to lean over it to see into the centre’s chicken coop. “There was clearly a lapse of supervision, during which time this escape occurred, and the outcome could have been far more serious if the child had not been located and promptly returned to the centre,” Judge Armitage said.
Ebony’s family has responded to the inquest’s findings with a powerful call to action, urging the government to introduce “Ebony’s Law” to ban loop-top fencing and impose a “three strikes rule” on centres found in breach of their supervision obligations. “While my recommendations are not as comprehensive as those submitted by the family, each of the family’s recommendations is worthy of close consideration by the NT government,” Judge Armitage said.
The family’s pleas have been echoed by the coroner, who also recommended the government conduct a supervision audit across all childcare centres in the NT and impose penalties on those that fail to rectify identified issues in a timely manner.
As the community grapples with the shocking circumstances of Ebony’s death, her family remains steadfast in their pursuit of justice and change. “We will carry her with us always,” they said in a statement, “and we are forever grateful for the time we had with her.”