A CORONER has referred her findings into the mystery death of Wodonga baby Charlotte Rose Keen to the Office of Public Prosecutions.
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Coroner Jacinta Heffey has suppressed the details of her findings because she said it could interfere with a person’s right to a fair trial.
Ms Heffey said she had formed a view about the circumstances surrounding how the baby died three days short of her first birthday in 2004.
But she said she did not want to make that opinion public because of the risk of prejudicing a person’s trial if the person were charged.
Ms Heffey held the inquest in Wodonga from August 19 to September 5 last year.
The police informant in the case, Sgt Adam Forehan, said he had no comment to make after Ms Heffey delivered her findings.
“We essentially have to wait until the director of the Office of Public Prosecutions reviews the case,” Sgt Forehan said.
“They will review the case and offer the chief commissioner comments surrounding that.
“At that stage the matter will be re-assessed by Victoria Police.”
Paramedics went to a home in Phefley Court at 8.19am on December 12, 2004, after a triple-0 call about an 11-month-old baby.
Charlotte was taken to the Wodonga emergency department before being transferred to Albury and later flown to the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.
She died five days later.
Pathologist Professor Stephen Cordner performed the autopsy on Charlotte.
He found the baby had suffered a brain injury, a broken arm and up to 25 bruises.
Neurosurgeon David Wallace told the inquest Charlotte’s injuries were consistent with “shaken baby syndrome”.
No one has been charged over Charlotte’s death.