Devastated family and friends of a three-year-old boy who died after being abandoned in the back of a sweltering minibus in Cairns have gathered at his funeral.
Maliq Namok-Malamoo, known by loved ones as Meeky, was found slumped in the back of a Goodstart Early Learning bus after being picked up from his family home on the morning of February 18.
His tiny white coffin was adorned with colourful, summer flowers and a touching array of pale blue balloons.
Around 500 mourners came to say goodbye to the youngster, who was supposed to be spending the day at Goodstart Early Learning’s childcare centre in the Cairns suburb of Edmonton when tragedy struck.
A little girl (pictured) looks on at the funeral of the three-year-old boy who died after being left in a sweltering childcare minibus in Cairns on February 18
Three-year-old Maliq Namok-Malamoo, known by loved ones as Meeky, was found slumped in the back of a Goodstart Early Learning bus after being picked up from his family home on the morning of February 18
The little boy’s tiny white coffin (pictured) was taken to the funeral home as he was laid to rest on Friday afternoon surrounded by friends and family
Family and friends of Maliq Namok-Malamoo, known by loved ones as Meeky, turned out in their droves to attend his funeral on Friday (pictured)
On the sweltering 36C day, temperatures could have risen to fatal levels in the car, as an investigation was launched into his death.
Meeky’s shattered family later said they had been left ‘distressed’ by the tragic incident, as two childcare workers were charged over his death.
‘We all grieve our loss in circumstances that should never have happened,” his great-grandmother Shireen Malamoo said in tribute, according to the Cairns Post.
‘We will carry this grief for our life times. It is on our watch to ensure that justice prevails.
‘You must ethically, legally, financially acknowledge that the child care system is broken.
‘We seek justice for Maliq.’
His tiny white coffin was loaded into a hearse and surrounded by colourful flowers and blue balloons (pictured) for his funeral on Friday
Around 500 people from the local community in Edmonton, Cairns, turned out to show support for Meeky’s family (pictured) at his funeral on Friday
Family and friends of Maliq Namok-Malamoo, known by loved ones as Meeky, turned out in their droves to attend his funeral on Friday (pictured)
In a moving speech full of love for her son, Meeky’s mother Muriel said her only son was her ‘true love’.
Last week, his uncle Nick said his family were ‘trying to come to terms’ with the huge hole he has left in their lives, after Goodstart staff Dionne Batrice Grills and Michael Glenn Lewis fronted a Queensland court over the death.
‘As you can imagine the sudden loss of our little boy has been distressing for the family,’ his uncle said.
‘It has left many of us with the difficult task of trying to come to terms with his loss.
‘He was a three-year-old boy who was deeply connected to his siblings, his peers and older children and he played a big part in a really close-knitted family.’
On February 25, Cairns Magistrate Court heard how the three-year-old was left strapped in a babyseat inside the bus for six hours.
It was only when Lewis, the centre’s director, returned to the bus that afternoon that the boy’s body was discovered.
The court heard that in the moments that followed Lewis made a distressing call to triple-0 and told an operator: ‘I’ve left a child on the bus… this kid is dead.’
Lewis, 44, and his colleague Grills, 35, have both been charged with one count of manslaughter over the child’s death.
The boy’s family were in court for the emotional hearing last Tuesday, saying they are in desperate need for ‘answers’ about the tragedy.
Around 500 people from the local community in Edmonton, Cairns, turned out to show support for Meeky’s family (pictured) at his funeral on Friday
Hundreds of mourners gathered to celebrate the life of Maliq Namok-Malamoo, known by loved ones as Meeky, who was found slumped in the back of a minibus
Family and friends of Maliq Namok-Malamoo, known by loved ones as Meeky, turned out in their droves to attend his funeral on Friday (pictured)
At present, our families are working through a very difficult time in our lives by supporting and encouraging and looking out for each other,’ the boy’s uncle Nick said.
‘For us as a family this is an unprecedented incident and consequently it’s affected the lives of the community.
‘That’s been demonstrated by the support our families have received and we would like to thank everyone for their help, their love and their prayers so from our family we thank you.’
During the hearing, Police prosecutor Senior Sergeant Maynard Marcum told harrowing details of how the boy had allegedly been put in a child restraint just two seats away from the driver and front door.
Yet when the minibus being driven by Lewis arrived at the daycare centre, he and his colleague Grills allegedly left the vehicle – but did not take the boy with them.
Edmonton Goodstart Early Learning Centre director Michael Glenn Lewis (left) 45, and worker Dionne Batrice Grills (right) 34, both faced court on Tuesday, each charged with manslaughter
He allegedly spent the next six hours sweltering inside the bus as the mercury rose to 36C.
At 2.45pm, Lewis returned to the bus to begin the afternoon drop off run, but the court heard it wasn’t until 3pm that he discovered the lifeless boy.
He then called Triple-0 and said: ‘I’ve left a child on the bus… my life is over’.
‘Oh my God, this kid is dead,’ Lewis could be heard saying on the recording.
‘Oh my God, I’m the director of the childcare centre… the child was left on the bus all day.
‘I’ve just opened up the bus and he’s here, dead… I’m so sorry buddy.
‘I’m going to jail, this is all my fault. Oh my God. My whole life is over.’
The court also heard allegations that the accused pair had ‘fraudulently’ signed in the young boy more than two hours before the bus arrived at the daycare centre.
Police allege Grills was on the bus with Lewis for the morning run, before the centre manager made the grim discovery when he returned to the vehicle later that afternoon.
The court heard that Ms Grills had been employed at the daycare centre for less than a month when the incident occurred.
Ms Grills was granted strict conditional bail and is forbidden from contacting her ex- colleagues, her co-accused or the dead child’s family, except through her lawyers.
She was ordered to return to court on March 18.
The court heard the young boy had been put in a child restraint two seats away from the driver of the minibus (pictured) but child carers allegedly neglected to take him out when they exited the vehicle