The South Australian Police Commissioner Speaks Out Following the Heartbreaking D3:aths of Helena Wright and Her Children
South Australia’s police commissioner has told his officers to reflect on the lead-up to a murder-suicide involving a mother and her two children, including asking questions of their response.
Helena Wright, 36, had visited a police station in Mount Gambier in the state’s south-east on July 26, the day before she and her two young children went missing.
It is not known why Helena Wright visited a police station the day before her death. Facebook
The bodies of Wright and her two-year-old daughter Hazel were found in waters off Cape Northumberland in Port Macdonnell on the same day.
The body of her two-month-old son Lewis has not been found, but he is assumed to have died.
South Australia Police Commissioner Grant Stevens, speaking to the ABC, did not explicitly say there were errors in the response of police, but said it would be important to look back on the events that led to the deaths.
“I’m not presuming we could have done things better,” he said.
“But what I am enquiring into is ‘did we get it right?’
“And if there were opportunities for change, then we would instigate those changes.”
Police have not revealed why Wright visited the police station the day before her death and did not elaborate on whether there had been any prior interactions between Wright and police.
“As this matter is now subject to a coronial investigation, SAPOL will provide all relevant information and evidence to the coroner,” a police spokesperson told nine.com.au last week.
“It is not appropriate to comment further while coronial proceedings are underway.”
Stevens said such events would still be reviewed by police.
“It’s not just about the incident itself where Helena is presumed to have taken her own life,” he said.
Stevens said police would analyse their entire response to the Helena Wright situation. Kelly Barnes
“It will be about all of the events that led up to that particular point in time, so that will include interactions with police going back as long as necessary.”
Wright was born in Estonia and shared a family home with her husband in Compton on the outskirts of Mount Gambier.
The alarm was first raised by a friend, who called police with a concern for welfare on Monday, July 27.
Police did not find anyone at Wright’s home, and an hour later, police were called to a lighthouse carpark containing the family car, where the engine was found running.
There are no other persons of interest in the case.
A report is being prepared for the coroner.
SOURCE: 9 NEWS
https://www.nine.com.au/australia-news/sa/south-australia-murder-suicide-did-we-get-it-right-police-commissioner-asks-officers-to-reflect-20260807-p60ma6.html
