Full Breakdown
WA Attorney General Orders Inquest into Port Hedland Child Murders
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
On October 15, 2026, Western Australia Attorney-General Tony Buti directed the state coroner to hold an inquest into the 2022 killings of three Hawke children—aged 10 years, 7 years and four months—in Port Hedland. Buti said new evidence and circumstances, not considered by former coroner Phil Urquhart when he declined an inquest in 2025, now justify a formal inquiry.
Background and Prior Coroner Decision
The murders, committed by the children’s mother Margaret Hawke, prompted community outrage and a series of investigative reports by *The Australian* that highlighted missed warnings to child-protection workers in the Pilbara region. Despite those findings, Urquhart’s 2025 determination left the case without an inquest. The decision was later challenged by the children’s grandmother, Dorothy Papertalk, whose campaign kept the issue in the public eye.
Official Statements & Responses
He declined to disclose the new evidence, noting it must now be examined by the coroner’s court.
Premier Roger Cook described the deaths as “an unspeakable tragedy” and asserted the government was “moving appropriately” to provide an inquest. He emphasized that the Attorney-General’s authority to intervene hinges on newly-emerged information.
He urged Cook to back an amendment that would clarify the Attorney-General’s power to direct inquests. Cook responded that he would not commit to supporting the proposed amendment.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The scope and timing of the inquest are now matters for the coroner’s court,” — Tony Buti, WA Attorney-General
What’s Next
The government announced a short review of the Coroners Act, to run alongside pending legislative amendments. The review is slated for completion by the end of November 2026, after which its findings will be incorporated into the act. The coroner’s court will set the schedule for the inquest, determining its scope and timing.
