In one of Australia’s most severe female prisons, a prison nurse who refused to provide CPR to a newborn infant who was not breathing has been awarded protection from prosecution.
In one of the Mothers and Children Units at the Dame Phyllis Frost Center in 2018, “Baby A” was just 12 days old when she passed away while being held by her mother.
Among the deadliest women in the country are housed in this prison, including the “Black Widow” serial murderer Robyn Lindholm and gangland leader Judy Moran.
In an effort to prevent another tragedy like the infant’s death, Victorian Coroner John Olle will spend two weeks hearing testimony about it.
The inquest was held nearly three years after a Daily Mail Australia investigation made public the terrible death of Baby A, whose mother and identity are being withheld for legal reasons.
The coroner was informed that prison nurse Georgina Melody declined to do CPR on the infant, claiming that she was already dead when the infant’s distraught mother called for help.
Robert Harper, Ms. Melody’s attorney, informed the court that his client would decline to testify before the inquiry unless immunity from a “civil penalty” was given.
It is undeniable that nurse Melody did not provide CPR, he said.
The nurse’s refusal to save the infant startled not only the baby’s mother but also the jail personnel and the investigators, the court heard.
The mother of the child expressed her shock at the alleged inaction of her jailers in a heartbreaking impact statement.
She testified in court, saying, “I still cannot understand why none of the personnel performed CPR or anything for the infant until the firemen came.”
Concern about the nurse’s apparent neglect to help the infant was shared by other jail guards.
I didn’t witness the nurse give the infant any CPR, One of the guards said, “I thought this to be pretty unpleasant to observe.”
Another person remarked, “I was astonished and saddened by this lack of action.”
A jail operations manager admitted to the inquiry that he, too, was disappointed at Ms. Melody’s “inaction” that evening.
I was surprised that the infant wasn’t receiving medical attention, the man stated.
The inquest’s expert witness, Dr. Julia Charlton of the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, criticised the nurse for her inaction.
The onsite nurse was a certified professional and could have started CPR sooner, according to the first responders. She told the inquiry that the other first responders’ conduct “cannot be criticised.”
Four prisoners who were confined inside the unit with the concerned mother had also raised worry about how long it took prison employees to react to the emergency, the coroner’s attorney, Rachel Ellyard, told the court.
Only that afternoon had the mother and the underweight infant been released from the hospital.
When Baby A’s mother woke up at 5.30 am, she discovered her unconscious; the cause of death was subsequently identified as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Her coronial impact statement makes it obvious that she believed there was a delay.
According to Ms. Ellyard, the testimony of her fellow captives clearly shows how long it appeared to them before any assistance came.
Some people found it upsetting that no CPR was done until aid finally arrived in the shape of jail guards and later the nurse.
The evidence will take into account whether overall Baby A and her mother received a timely response, keeping in mind that they were locked in a prison unit with no access to the outside world other than with the help of prison officers.
“It may be that Baby A was already beyond help,” the evidence states.
Ms. Melody was given the immunity certificate by Coroner Olle, protecting her from any possible repercussions of what she says when she testifies next week.
Although the negligence of jail officials has drawn criticism, the inquiry is sure to reveal how those paid by taxpayers to keep Baby A and her mother safe failed them down.
The court was informed that Baby A’s mother had a history of drug abuse, which resulted in the kid being born in custody and developing a methadone addiction—a medicine used to wean addicts off heroin.
Staff from the child welfare department had been kept in the dark when the decision was ultimately made by a steering committee, and they did nothing when they finally found out just days before the child died, despite concerns about allowing Baby A’s mother access to the child while she was in prison.
The coroner will decide if Baby A’s mother’s desire to be with her child affected the judgement of those who made judgments bringing the child back in her care.
Eight days after delivery, Baby A was released from the hospital, but he had to stay another two nights because of weight issues.
Baby A was released from the hospital once again that afternoon, having lost 12 days following her birth.
Preschool-aged children are permitted to reside with their mums within the highest security prison under the prison programme.
When questioned about a number of complaints about the event in 2019, a Department of Justice and Community Safety official declined to comment and instead linked Daily Mail Australia to its website.
The spokesperson then said, “Victoria Police was summoned to investigate and submit a report for the Coroner.”
According to many individuals who spoke to Daily Mail Australia, the tragedy happened late at night when there was a shortage of employees.
The young mother’s eerie cries startled up the prisoners in the specialised unit while they were sound sleeping.
One prisoner reportedly saw the helpless infant on a sofa next to the distraught mother.
Untrained in CPR, another young mother in the unit made valiant attempts to rescue the infant but was unsuccessful.
When the guards came, they reportedly did not try to revive the little girl themselves but instead quickly called a “code black” for the jail nurse.
Following the incident, prisoners were kept on lockdown for four days as investigators from the police and the jail sought to piece together what had transpired.
Prisoned mothers are only permitted two visits per week under the prison programme, but they are still able to request to have their children picked up by family members on any other day.
According to Corrections Victoria, women who are incarcerated with their children reside in housing that “meets accepted community standards for the safe, secure housing of children and properly supports the nutritional, developmental, and health requirements of the kid.”
A maternal child health nurse is said to visit the jail on a regular basis to help with the dietary and medical needs of infants and young children.
The investigation goes on.