The death of any child, for any reason, is incredibly tragic and leaves lasting impacts on the community. It often leaves us asking questions—How and why did this happen? What could we have done differently? What can we do to prevent this from happening again?
In the 12-month period from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023, the deaths of 446 children and young people aged 0–17 years were registered in Queensland.2 Deaths from natural causes (diseases and morbid conditions) accounted for a large proportion of child deaths, with these most likely to occur in the first days and weeks of life. Child mortality from external causes includes deaths from injuries, either non-intentional (accidental) injuries such as transport incidents or drowning, or from intentional injuries, which include suicide and fatal assault and neglect.
This report has been prepared under section 29 of the Family and Child Commission Act 2014 (FCC Act).