These oral submissions are critical, as I seek to clearly present to Coroner Mr Cain the factual evidence, supported by compelling material, regarding the circumstances surrounding the death of my daughter. The evidence presented at the inquest has helped clarify key issues and provided stronger, more coherent context, filling many of the significant gaps that existed in the evidence prior to the inquest, as previously acknowledged by the Coroner at a hearing before the inquest.
I was never satisfied with the medical evidence, as the findings and explanations never properly added up. Then, when I received the two contradictory Mozambique police reports in 2017, I realised that if I did not take action myself, Elly was never going to receive a proper investigation, and it was highly likely her death would simply be swept under the carpet and treated as an accident by all authorities involved, including my own
The latest behind-the-scenes evidence concerning Elly Warren's case raises profound questions about the conduct of the Australian Federal Police, DFAT's Honorary Consul, and the Mozambique Police. The documentary record identifies significant inconsistencies, omissions, and failures of disclosure by Australian authorities. It also points to what appears to have been a deliberate cover-up by members of the local Mozambique Police in the days following Elly's death. Taken together, these matters warrant independent scrutiny and raise serious concerns that the full truth and relevant facts were withheld from both Elly's family and the Coroner, thereby hindering a complete and transparent examination of the circumstances surrounding Elly's death in 2016.
As Elly’s father, I have prepared a report on the inquest and Coroner’s findings from an industrial engineering perspective, examining several key elements. It identifies serious flaws in evidence handling, inconsistencies in official accounts, and concerns that critical material was not properly disclosed by the AFP, tested, or properly assessed. Key forensic opportunities appear to have been missed, while some evidence presented or relied upon appears to have been misleading or incomplete, raising fundamental questions about the reliability and integrity of the findings. There are also serious concerns regarding potential institutional bias, given the involvement of a VIFM pathologist linked to the Coroner’s own medical body, calling into question the independence and objectivity of the expert evidence relied upon. In addition, relevant witnesses were either not initially called, called only after significant delay, or not called at all, despite the apparent importance of their evidence to key factual issues under examination.
These oral submissions are critical, as I seek to clearly present to Coroner Mr Cain the factual evidence, supported by compelling material, regarding the circumstances surrounding the death of my daughter. The evidence presented at the inquest has helped clarify key issues and provided stronger, more coherent context, filling many of the significant gaps that existed in the evidence prior to the inquest, as previously acknowledged by the Coroner at a hearing before the inquest.
27th May, 2024
My report and systems complaint have been formally escalated to the AFP Commissioner, the Australian Prime Minister, the Victorian Premier, the Australian Attorney-General, the Victorian Police Commissioner, and other relevant government agencies, as well as individuals with past or direct involvement in the matter.
