A Canberra child protection worker has stood by a decision to leave Bradyn Dillon in his father's care, describing the boy's disclosures of violence to interstate workers as "a mystery".
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A coronial inquest into the nine-year-old's death resumed on February 17.
ACT child protection services closed his case on January 23, 2015 - a little more than a year before his abusive father, Graham Dillon, killed him with a final beating and blow to the head.
The child protection worker on Wednesday told the ACT Coroner's Court she had been allocated Bradyn's case on December 9, 2014 - about a month after a Victorian court ordered he return to Canberra to live with Dillon.
Victorian authorities, which fought for Bradyn to stay in his mother's care, verbally relayed to ACT child protection services that Bradyn had been "devastated" when the decision was made.
Bradyn told workers Dillon threw him on the couch, punched and hit him, the inquest heard.
The case worker told the court she made attempts to get Victorian authorities' detailed files about Bradyn's case, but they were never sent through.
She said she figured if Bradyn's disclosures about abuse had been substantiated, Victorian authorities would have taken emergency action to stop him being returned to his father.
The case worker told the court she thought the abuse might have been "historical", not "current".
"Even today, I don't really understand what happened while [Bradyn was] living in Victoria," she said.
"Why was action not taken back then?
"It was kind of a mystery."
The inquest heard Bradyn's mother pressed Victorian authorities to send through detailed case files. A Victorian child protection worker on Tuesday told the court she thought she had provided enough information to ACT authorities verbally.
The Canberra case worker on Wednesday told the court she interviewed Bradyn during a visit at Dillon's house, and he had not told her Dillon was abusing him.
The inquest heard the boy told Victorian child protection workers, "You're not going to tell dad [I] said this, are you?", after he disclosed the violence in November 2014.
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The case worker said she had taken into account what Bradyn said, how he was dressed, his hygiene, and how "comfortable" he appeared with his father when she assessed Dillon.
"[Bradyn] felt safe in the care of [his] father at the time," she told the court.
"If you've got children that are not cowering or they appear to be comfortable with their father, that tells you something."
The case worker conceded she didn't establish a "safety plan" with Bradyn, and didn't cross-reference files that showed Dillon abused other family members.
"It might not necessarily involve the children," she told the court.
"Are the children themselves abused?"
The inquest continues.
Cassandra Morgan
It has never been more important for Canberrans to be able to access reliable and accurate information about health. As The Canberra Times’ health reporter, I am committed to ensuring our readers have access to this. I, like many in the territory, have family members who work in the sector. Although providing comprehensive coverage on the coronavirus pandemic is obviously my number one priority, I aim to frequently shed light on the fantastic work our frontline professionals do, as well as the challenges they face. Email me tips and story ideas at: c.morgan@canberratimes.com.au.
It has never been more important for Canberrans to be able to access reliable and accurate information about health. As The Canberra Times’ health reporter, I am committed to ensuring our readers have access to this. I, like many in the territory, have family members who work in the sector. Although providing comprehensive coverage on the coronavirus pandemic is obviously my number one priority, I aim to frequently shed light on the fantastic work our frontline professionals do, as well as the challenges they face. Email me tips and story ideas at: c.morgan@canberratimes.com.au.
