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A coroner’s inquest into the death of Victorian schoolboy Luke Batty, who died when he was stabbed by his mentally ill father in the rural town Tyabb in February, is examining ways the 11-year-old’s death might have been prevented.
Luke’s father Greg Anderson, who was wanted by police in relation to four separate arrest warrants and prohibited from approaching Luke or his mother Rosie Batty, beat his son with a cricket bat and fatally stabbed him at Tyabb Oval on February 12.
When ambulance workers arrived at the scene and attempted to approach Luke, Anderson threatened them with a knife and said “he’s in heaven now.”
The 54-year-old was shot after he threatened police.
Rosie and Luke Batty.
An intervention order had been taken out against him 18-months before the murder and another intervention order had been taken out by Anderson’s former flat mate who said Anderson had displayed signs of mental illness and threatened to decapitate him.
Today Rosie told the Victorian Coroners Court that she wanted Luke to have a relationship with his father until Greg showed his son a knife in April 2013.
“I was so alarmed I knew I could no longer support his relationship with his father,” Rosie said in court.
Earlier this year, Rosie told The Weekly that Luke’s death was avoidable.
“I don’t blame police, they did the best they could with the resources they have,” she said in July.
“What upsets me is that we have a system where the various bodies meant to protect women and children in danger are not talking to one another. There needs to be a streamlining of the processes.”
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