Mother Tells Inquest She 'Didn't Understand Mental Health' Before Daughter Killed Child

The mother of a child killer told an inquest that she did not understand mental health and had consulted a naturopathic herbalist regarding her teenage daughter's concerning behavior. This revelation came two weeks after the 14-year-old confessed to her mother that she frequently had thoughts about killing people.

Tragically, shortly after this confession, the teenager killed 10-year-old Biddy Porter at a rural New South Wales property on July 8, 2020. Biddy, described as a vibrant and creative child, died from multiple injuries. In 2021, the NSW Supreme Court found the killer, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, not criminally responsible due to mental illness. She has remained in custody since her arrest and is under the care of the mental health review tribunal.

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Mental health was never on my radar. I never believed in mental health, I didn’t understand mental health so it didn’t come up to me as something I needed to do.

Two psychiatrists diagnosed the teenager with schizophrenia, concluding she was in acute psychosis at the time of the killing. Counsel assisting the inquest, Peggy Dwyer SC, informed the court that the teenager likely experienced delusions and a "loss of contact with reality." The inquest heard details of her deteriorating mental state prior to the murder, including self-harm, an interest in knives, and feelings of unreality.

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The chickens were to be culled, so that was what was happening to them anyway.

When questioned why she did not seek mental health support for her daughter, the mother stated it "did not occur to her." She explained that the family had culled chickens on the property, and she was only upset about the killing of the hens because they had stopped laying eggs. "Mental health was never on my radar. I never believed in mental health, I didn’t understand mental health so it didn’t come up to me as something I needed to do," the mother testified.

The mother did recall asking a naturopathic herbalist about her daughter's behavior, who advised her to consult a general practitioner. A GP referral for a psychiatrist was eventually made but was only found in the mother's email spam folder after the inquest had begun. The killing occurred exactly one week after this GP appointment. The inquest continues to examine potential systemic failures and warning signs leading up to Biddy's death.

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I don’t understand why that was such a big red flag.