Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Hansard source

Eden Westbrook would have turned 26 on 12 August, but Eden died a very public death in tragic circumstances in St Helens, Tasmania, in February 2015. She was found hanging by a rope in St Helens park in the early morning. The police decided quickly—much too quickly, if you ask me—that Eden committed suicide, but the Westbrooks and I, and many others, are convinced that Eden did not take her own life. Eden's mum and dad, Amanda and Jason Westbrook, have fought for over 10 years to get to the truth. There are just too many facts that don't stack up. For example, when Eden's sister saw her body before the cremation, Eden had bruises on her face and neck, and her teeth were absolutely shattered. The Westbrooks and others have repeatedly asked the Tasmanian coroner to release Eden's autopsy photos. They also want an inquest, and they want an independent coroner to assess the fresh evidence. Unfortunately, the Westbrooks have been frustrated by the refusal of the coronial authority, including Tasmania's Chief Magistrate, to release the damn photos.

Thanks to the Tasmanian Attorney-General, Guy Barnett—and I do thank him from the bottom of my heart. On 19 August, the first day of parliament since the election, he tabled a revised bill to compel the provision of the autopsy photos to the Westbrooks by the coroner within 28 days. Those autopsy photos are key to unlocking this case. What do Eden's autopsy photos show? This is what we want to know. Do they show a fractured cricoid cartilage in the lower neck, inconsistent with hanging; damaged teeth; bruising to the neck or face inconsistent with blunt force trauma; bruising or ligature remarks on the wrists; or any other undocumented injuries or signs of sexual assault? Why was the autopsy not undertaken by a qualified forensic pathologist in a NATA accredited mortuary that met national pathology standards? Why weren't samples like material from beneath her fingernails taken for DNA testing?

The Westbrooks asked Dr Byron Collins, a respected independent forensic pathologist, to review the available forensics and crime scene photos and consider issues like the manner and cause of death and time of death. Dr Collins produced a preliminary report in March 2025, and now there is independent expert evidence of a possible homicide. A copy of the report was provided to the chief magistrate in April this year. The Westbrooks believe Eden died on 18 February, not 17 February 2015, because, in the days after Eden's death, a trusted police officer told the Westbrooks there was CCTV footage of Eden at the skate park at 2 am on 18 February 2015. His viewing of the relevant footage is confirmed under RTI. That officer, unfortunately, is now deceased.

There are also relevant Facebook posts by a person of interest, including recent ones, which have not been investigated. Importantly, Dr Collins's written report found that there was no reliable evidence to assist in determining the time of death. The evidence provided by police in affidavits, concerning body temperature and rigor mortis, was of little no supportive value. The requests by the Westbrooks, Dr Collins and myself for the release of the autopsy photos have been refused essentially on the basis that there was no legal proceeding on foot and it was not appropriate for any third party to receive autopsy photos. What a load of rubbish. It seems that early requests to the Tasmanian coroner's office did not include disclosure of the autopsy photos as they were never on the corpse coronial file. So does this mean those photos were never even considered by the coroner? Good question for her to answer tomorrow! The content of the autopsy photos and the final expert opinion from Dr Collins are absolutely critical to reopening of the investigation. The chief magistrate recently responded to another request for the photos on 14 April 2025 after she had been provided with Dr Collins's report, saying that she was considering the issues and would respond 'in due course'.

Well, four months later, there's still no respect for the family, and I still haven't had a response from you, let alone anyone else. Dr Collins's report was outlined in the Our Little Edey podcast in April 2025. By the way, there are six million people following this podcast. Dr Collins found evidence of possible blunt-force trauma to Eden and a second injury to the voice box or lower neck inconsistent with hanging. It was of the type that should have rung alarm bells. This is contrary to the chief magistrate's comment—that there was no sign of any trauma to Eden—in her decision several years ago to not reopen the matter. Dr Collins advised he was considerably 'ill at ease' concerning the adequacy and completeness of the police investigation and autopsy report. The pathologist who undertook the autopsy didn't even check to see whether Eden had been sexually assaulted. I mean, seriously!

It was Dr Collins's opinion that at the completion of the autopsy the most appropriate cause of death should have been at very least 'undetermined'. Dr Collins is frustrated and disappointed, like we are, and, in his 50 years as a practising forensic pathologist, he is unable to remember such a denial of access to photos. Two additional crime scene photos have recently been discovered after the coroner's office forwarded a complete set to a rope expert in Canada who is assisting the family. One item, a hair band, could have been useful in determining who was at the scene that night. Why wasn't it seized as an exhibit? More importantly, why wasn't the rope seized as an exhibit? The Westbrooks have endured more pain than most. They struggle to understand how the coronial system can be so hostile. As if their grief wasn't enough, they and their families have had to endure gaslighting, intimidation and harassment from local police, particularly in the days and months following Eden's death.

Amanda and Jason's resilience and determination is remarkable. It is unbreakable. But they shouldn't have to go through this. They need answers. I want answers, and so do the people of Tasmania. Eden's death was treated as a suicide within hours. Minimal forensics were even undertaken, and on the evidence available under the RTIs we've been collecting, the only police exhibit was a set of 10 fingerprints—wouldn't you guess—from Eden. Police did her fingerprints, but they couldn't do under her nails—go figure. Police did not seize Eden's mobile phone or nearby CCTV footage to ascertain her movements that night. They didn't check her social media accounts. They didn't interview critical witnesses. They didn't even check past records of grooming—inappropriate approaches by persons in authority to young women and similar events in the St Helens area involving violence. What inquiries were conducted given allegations of paedophilia activity and other inappropriate behaviour by police in St Helens around that time?

I certainly hit a nerve with the Commissioner of Police in Tasmania when I raised this issue in parliament in a previous speech. Upon recent inquiries with her, I was advised that one officer of interest was still the subject of an ongoing professional standards investigation. I was very worried about the involvement of Senior Sergeant Paul Reynolds as a coroner's associate in the investigation of Eden's death. The coroner, in delivering her three-page finding, without inquest, stated in 2016 that the late, disgraced paedophile Senior Sergeant Reynolds had provided regular oversight and direction to the investigation.

Section 13(1) of the Tasmanian Coroners Act 1995 states that a coroner may delegate to a coroner's associate any function or power of a coroner other than the power of delegation or a power prescribed by the regulations. What powers, if any, were delegated by the coroner to Senior Sergeant Reynolds in Eden's case and in other cases? It is very worrying to think that Senior Sergeant Reynolds may have been exercising significant powers on behalf of the coroner. We can only hope Reynolds had no role in drafting the findings in Eden's case, which fail to list the forensic science and autopsy evidence taken into account in determining suicide and which fail to outline the reasons for determining Eden's death occurring on 17 February rather than 18 February.

The Weiss report, commissioned by Tasmania Police, failed to examine Reynolds's role in Eden's case despite comprehensive written and oral submissions from the Westbrooks and their then lawyer. In fact, the Weiss report failed to even mention Eden's case. The Weiss report failed on a lot.

The coroner's findings also state there was no available evidence as to the origin of the rope, clearly contradicting police investigative findings which were never followed up or confirmed. Police didn't even check the docks right across the road. To them: how lazy are you? You didn't consider the nature and configuration of the rope and what that meant about its likely source—lazy! Police investigation documents indicate the rope was never seized. Contrary to this, the coroner's office advised in writing that the rope was believed to have been destroyed as a result of a 2016 disposal order under the act.

Which account is accurate—which one? How are the Westbrooks supposed to mount a case for reopening when the coroner's office won't provide critical information. There are wide-ranging and possible systemic issues involved in Eden's case and there is a concerning lack of NATA accreditation of both Tasmanian police forensic services, involving crime scene investigation, and mortuary autopsy photos within the hospital and forensic medicine environments in Tasmania.

Tasmania is well behind its interstate colleagues when it comes to adopting and following accepted best practices. The Tasmania Police manual is about as pathetic as a wet paper bag when it comes to required standards and providing information on police powers and criminal investigation procedures. That's probably where you need to start, or you've gone wrong.

An independent inquiry, without any doubt, needs to be established, effective immediately, to address the systemic issues in this case to ensure ethical and best practice investigation and forensic science, a less hostile approach by coroners and the development of much-needed trust and confidence in Tasmania Police and, for god's sakes, our coronial system down there. I will have much more to say over the next week.