Woman says she ‘didn’t understand mental health’ before daughter experiencing acute psychosis killed another child
Summary
A 14-year-old girl in New South Wales, Australia, killed a 10-year-old child while in a state of severe mental illness. An inquest revealed the girl had schizophrenia and was experiencing psychosis at the time, and her mother did not recognize the need for mental health support before the tragedy.Key Facts
- The 14-year-old confessed to her mother that she often thought about killing people two weeks before the killing.
- The victim, 10-year-old Biddy Porter, died from multiple injuries in July 2020.
- The girl was found not criminally responsible due to mental illness by the NSW Supreme Court in 2021.
- Psychiatrists diagnosed the teenager with schizophrenia and acute psychosis during the incident.
- The mother did not seek mental health help initially and consulted a naturopathic herbalist instead.
- A referral to a psychiatrist was made but overlooked by the mother until after the inquest began.
- The teen had shown warning signs like self-harm, fascination with knives, and killing chickens before the incident.
- The inquest is investigating possible early warning signs and system failures related to the case.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.