Tiahleigh Palmer was repeatedly failed by the authorities before she was raped by her foster brother and killed by her foster father, a senior politician has said.
Queensland Opposition Leader Ros Bates, slammed the foster care system on Friday, saying Tiahleigh, who was killed by her foster Rick Thorburn, should never have been placed with two teenage boys.
‘It was an inappropriate placement. Why on Earth would you put a prepubescent girl with two teenage boys?’ Ms Bates asked on A Current Affair.
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Thorburn, 58, admitted to murdering the 12-year-old (pictured) on the Gold Coast in October 2015 and was sentenced to life in jail
Tiahleigh Palmer’s foster father Rick Thorburn (pictured) pleaded guilty to the schoolgirl’s murder in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Friday
Queensland Opposition Leader Ros Bates, slammed the foster care system saying Tiahleigh shouldn’t have been placed with two teenage boys
Ms Bates said Tiahleigh running away from home ten times was a ‘cry for help’ and something should have been done long before her murder.
‘Had someone been out there and seen her, that would’ve given her the opportunity to say she was frightened.’
Tiahleigh foster father Thorburn was on Friday sentenced to life in jail after pleading guilty to the schoolgirl’s murder.
He will be eligible for parole in 2036.
Thorburn killed his foster daughter between 8pm and 10pm on October 29, just hours after his son Trent, who was 18 at the time, confessed to having sex with her, telling his parents he feared she was pregnant.
Tiahleigh’s badly decomposed body was found by fishermen on the banks of the Pimpama River six days after she went missing while in the Thorburn family’s care.
Trent Thorburn (pictured), Rick’s 20-year-old son, was released in January after serving 16 months in jail for incest, perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice
Tiahleigh’s (pictured) body was dumped in the Pimpama River, and found six days after she went missing while in the care of Thorburn and his family
Trent (pictured), who admitted to having sex with his foster sister, was jailed in September 2017 for a maximum four years after pleading guilty at the Beenleigh District Court to four charges, including incest
Her foster father had claimed he dropped her off at Marsden State High School, and he and his family told police everything was normal on the morning she vanished.
Thorburn also pleaded guilty to interfering with Tiahleigh’s corpse, attempting to pervert the course of justice and two counts of perjury.
Justice David Boddice called Thorburn’s conduct ‘appalling’ and described the murder and cover-up as ‘cold, calculating and callous’, ABC News reported.
‘You showed no respect for her, even in death – you murdered this defenceless child who relied on you for protection,’ he said.
The court heard Tiahleigh was first placed into care in 2010, aged seven, and in January 2015, the Thorburn family became her full-time carers.
Nine months later, Trent told his cousin he had had sex with Tiahleigh and was concerned she was pregnant.
While she was showering, he also told his mother Julene Thorburn about having sex with his foster sister.
She assured Trent it would be sorted out and told Rick Thorburn, who was concerned about the revelation and that it could cause Trent to go to jail.
‘We need to think this through, deal with this properly,’ he said.
Tiahleigh’s death led to reviews of protocols on cases of children who go missing while in out-of-home care
Cindy Palmer, the mother of murdered schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer, is seen leaving the Supreme Court in Brisbane
Between about 8pm and 10 pm on October 29, Rick Thorburn murdered her, the court heard.
The Thorburn family then had a meeting at which Rick said ‘it’s all taken care of.
He later told the family they had to take care of Trent and crafted a lie for them to try and cover up the murder.
Part of his plan, which was told to the family, was to dispose of Tiahleigh’s body, which was found unclothed but for her underpants.
An autopsy was conducted but due to the state of her body a cause of death was never determined, the court heard.
The only noticeable injury was a bruise on her skull.
Part of his plan, which was told to the family, was to dispose of Tiahleigh’s body, which was found unclothed but for her underpants (pictured are police divers searching the Pimpama River for evidence)
An autopsy was conducted but due to the state of her body a cause of death was never determined (pictured are police divers searching the Pimpama River for evidence)
During the police investigation, all family members gave the same false version of events, and the detectives were unable to make a breakthrough for seven months.
An anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers triggered the involvement of the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) who held a hearing with the Thorburns.
Listening devices were then installed in the Thorburn home, and Rick was overheard telling the other family members to ‘stick to the story’.
‘Dad made the decision to go down that path and unfortunately we are going to have to live with it,’ Julene Thorburn was heard telling her son Joshua.
‘No, but don’t you tell anyone ever, no matter what — that’s when things will f*** up,’ Rick Thorburn replied.
‘No I’m not, this cannot go on like this, it’s not fair to everyone,’ Julene said in response.
The discussions, combined with the motive of keeping Tiahleigh quiet about Trent having sex with her – led to the family’s arrest.
The foster father is the last member of his family to be sentenced over the crime.
Thorburn’s two sons and wife have also been jailed.
Trent, who admitted to having sex with his foster sister, was jailed in September 2017 for a maximum four years after pleading guilty at the Beenleigh District Court to four charges, including incest.
Cindy Palmer (pictured, centre), the mother of murdered schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer, speaks to the media outside the Supreme Court
Cindy Palmer (pictured, centre), the mother of murdered schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer, and her supporters are seen leaving court on Friday
His mother Julene spent six months behind bars after pleading guilty in November 2017 to perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
The Thorburns’ eldest son, Joshua, was sentenced to three months in jail in July 2017 after pleading guilty to same charges as his mother.
Tiahleigh’s death led to reviews of protocols on cases of children who go missing while in out-of-home care.
Outside the court, police said the Logan schoolgirl had suffered the ultimate act of betrayal.
‘She was put into a foster care situation, with people who were supposed to provide and care for her, and those people have allowed this to happen and been part of it. It is an absolute tragedy and inexcusable,’ Regional Crime Coordinator Kerry Johnson told reporters.
‘The courts have seen fit to sentence him to life imprisonment. I hope that in his cell he thinks about – everyday – what he has done, the life he cut short.’