Arabic version: مركز رعاية أطفال في داروين يقرّ بالذنب في وفاة طفلة صغيرة

According to ABC News, the Humpty Doo Community & Child Care Centre and supervisor Casandra Harris have pleaded guilty in the Darwin Local Court to charges following the 2023 death of 22-month-old Ebony Thompson.

Ebony was found unconscious after becoming trapped by her neck in a low, loop-topped fence in a playground blind spot on August 31, 2023. Northern Territory Coroner Elisabeth Armitage found last year that the toddler had been unsupervised for about 10 minutes.

The centre pleaded guilty to inadequately supervising children and inadequately protecting children from harm and hazards. Harris, who was the nominated supervisor for Ebony’s class but was neither rostered nor present that day, pleaded guilty to inadequately protecting children from harm after an inadequate-supervision charge was dropped.

The court heard no walk-through or yard checks were conducted while children transitioned from outdoor play, and there was no written policy requiring checks of the blind spot behind an island shed. Prosecutor Nicholas Goodfellow said the centre had also failed to notify the regulator about playground changes that created the blind spot.

Charges against worker Gurmeet Kaur were withdrawn. Centre director Rachel Marsh has indicated she will contest similar charges and is expected to return to court next month. Judge Stephen Geary said Ebony’s death was “an absolute tragedy” and indicated the sentence for the centre and Harris would be a fine. They are expected to return for sentencing next month.