The grieving families of six children killed in a Tasmanian jumping castle accident have welcomed the news of charges laid almost two years on from the horrific event.
Zane Mellor, Peter Dodt, Jalailah Jayne-Marie Jones, Addison Stewart, Jye Sheehan, and Chace Harrison, all Year 5 or 6 students at Devonport’s Hillcrest Primary School, were killed after being flung about 10 metres into the air while inside the inflatable bounce house on December 16, 2021.
Three other students were severely injured but survived after spending days in hospital.
The company, Taz-Zorb, has been charged with allegedly failing to comply with a health and safety duty in a way that exposed the children to a risk of death or serious injury.
The mother of Zane, Georgie Burt, said in a statement issued on Friday that she and others remained steadfast in their campaign for justice and answers regarding the incident.
“What I and the other families have gone through is awful,” she said.
“I am so sad that we have lost children, and we can never get them back. There was no chance of survival for my poor son Zane.”
Ms Burt welcomed the news that the operator, Launceston-based company, had been charged over the incident.
“I want justice for my son and the other families impacted and look forward to hearing the outcome of the criminal proceedings and subsequent Coronial inquest,” she said.
“I still want answers about the school’s involvement in the tragedy. It’s has been a long-
time coming and still not over.”
A joint statement from all of the families also welcomed the news, thanking investigators and first responders.
They added: “We would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the incredibly brave children who ran to the assistance of their injured friends and classmates.”
A coronial inquest into the incident is yet to be held after a Tasmanian court ruled it wasn’t allowed to proceed until the coroner was handed the WorkSafe report into the bounce house crash.
Coroner Olivia McTaggart previously said the inquest would commence “as soon as any prosecution has been completed.”
The Tasmanian company was charged on Friday over an incident in which six Tasmanian schoolchildren were killed when winds picked up the bouncy castle they were playing in.
It happened during an end-of-school year event in 2021.
Tasmania’s Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) filed the charges in Davenport Magistrates Court on Friday, and said the charges have come about after a lengthy investigation carried out by WorkSafe Tasmania.
“A large number of documents have been prepared and considered by the investigators and the DPP in order to reach this decision,” DPP Daryl Coates said in a statement.
“Throughout the last year, I have continued to meet with the families of the children who died or were injured in this incident and would again like to express my condolences to each of them.”
He added that there will be no further comment while the matter is before the courts.
WorkSafe Tasmania executive director Robyn Pearce said the investigation was “significant.”
“A large number of documents have been prepared and considered by the investigators and the DPP in order to reach this decision,” Ms Pearce said in a statement.
She also extended condolences to the families of the children killed, as well as those who survived, whom she has met with repeatedly since the incident.
Maurice Blackburn Senior Associate Gezime Vasic currently represents the families and said she hoped an inquest would be held soon.
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“We hope that a Public Inquest is held as soon as possible after the criminal proceedings to prevent a similar tragedy from occurring again and for the families to get the answers that they are seeking,” she said.
“The families want justice and to bring some sense of closure over what happened to their children on that terrible day.
“I would like to take this time to acknowledge the strength and resilience the families have shown throughout this ordeal.”
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