On Wednesday of this coming week the Coronial Inquest into the death of Aishwarya will commence. The Coroner has set aside 10 days for the hearing and then they have 4 days in reserve if required.
What is the purpose of the Inquest? From the Coroner's annual report last year: "As an independent judicial officer, the coroner investigates a reportable death to find how the deceased died and what the cause of death was. It is a fact finding exercise, aimed not at apportioning blame, but at establishing the circumstances attending the manner of the death. It is in the public interest for there to be a careful and thorough review of the information so that a sudden, unnatural or unexplained death is properly investigated and the cause and manner of that death is properly found and recorded."
In simple terms, it will determine what happened on the fateful night of April 3 2021. This is the ONLY expectation that the family and I have. We have no delusions as to what the Coroner will find or examine in this case.
It is clear from the approach of this State Government that they will do all in their power not to apportion or accept blame for her death.
I anticipate the Coroner will also make a finding as to the systemic failures that exist in the WA Health Service. I am also certain that the Coroner will then indicate that the State Government has pumped more money into WA Health and in the terms of the Australian vernacular will conclude that "there is nothing more to see here"
Sadly, the Coroner's Office has shown itself to be devoid of empathy for anyone. They are cold calculating and driven by process. This is the office, together with Health, that did not provide for Hindu religious observances to be conducted on the night of her passing. This is the office that held the directions and listing hearing on the anniversary of her passing. And then wanted to conduct the hearing on the day of her birthday. And it was not that they did not know of the landmark dates because they acknowledged them in their letter.
At the hearing there are five sets of lawyers and Barristers. I hate to think of the total cost of all of that. At the end of a whole year and a bit, of dealing with Aishwarya's passing I am left disillusioned and cynical as to the ability of lay people and members of the public to achieve any degree of success in this area.
There are so many others who are also fighting this same battle. Pamella and Meron are among that group. And there are others. The best we can hope for from such an Inquest is that the family will FINALLY be given closure and will know what actually transpired on that night. If nothing that will provide some degree of closure. But nothing will ever give them their daughter back. Their daughter who died in our system of health here in Western Australia.
