INQUEST: Leanne Thompson. Source: Supplied
CHILD Safety workers who were told that a girl, 15, in their care was being beaten by her drug abusing boyfriend ignored a mandatory obligation to report it to police, an inquest has heard.
The inquest into the 2006 death of Leanne Thompson also was told staff who suspected she was having sex with a criminal, 28, who was giving her drugs were powerless to forcibly remove her from his house.
Leanne was found hanging underneath the Upper Mt Gravatt house, on Brisbane's southside, on September 7, 2006, and she died that day in hospital.
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THOMPSON: Teen beaten and given drugs by boyfriend
Coroner John Lock yesterday told the inquest he would hear submissions on Friday and hoped to deliver his findings by the end of next week, so they could be referred to the Carmody child protection inquiry.
INQUEST: Witnesses Anne Duffield and Delia Williams.
Child Protection and Development Unit director, Belinda Mayfield, yesterday told Brisbane Coroners Court it was still the case that even if children put themselves at great risk case workers could not remove them from a place against their will.
The inquest was told that six days before her death Child Safety staff were told by Daniel O'Sachy that his brother Alex was giving her drugs, he had punched her on the back of the head that day and she had been cutting herself.
Case worker Elaine Kelly told the inquest she did not take his claims seriously.
Delia Williams, a departmental team leader in 2006, told the court she did not notify police because she called Leanne that day and accepted the 15-year-old's word that she was "perfectly fine".
"In situations where alleged harm may constitute a criminal offence there is an obligation under the Act to advise police," Ms Mayfield told the court.
She said that mandatory obligation would have applied at the time.
Anne Duffield, Leanne's Child Safety case worker, told the inquest she suspected the girl, who had absconded from department housing, was having sex with Alex O'Sachy, but the teenager denied it.
The court heard Leanne's father Sergeant Damian Rockett asked the department to forcibly remove Leanne from O'Sachy's house in July, 2006.
Ms Duffield said she and police felt there would be little point because Leanne would just return to O'Sachy.
The court heard Ms Duffield had at times taken Leanne grocery shopping and dropped her back outside Alex O'Sachy's house.
"Leanne was already very determined to stay with Alex O'Sachy and whether I had dropped her at a bus stop or there, it would not have made a difference," she said.
The court heard Leanne's death initially was treated as a suicide, but police began a homicide investigation in 2010 after Lisa Hart, the O'Sachys' neighbour, told of seeing Alex and Daniel assault and hang the girl.
The brothers have denied it.
On Friday Alex O'Sachy will face Coroner John Lock for contempt of court for refusing an order to answer questions at the inquest on Tuesday.
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