Last night, on the 19th of November 2024, Senator Jacqui Lambie passionately spoke about Eden Westbrook in the Senate and urged the Attorney General to take action.
This is a short bonus episode of her speech.
I sent him my speech in July this year that I considered there had been a cover up in this case, and I can assure you I'm not backing down. I don't give a stuff what the police commissioner says. I want those goddamn autopsy photos and if there's nothing to hide, then release them.
That Senator Jackie Lamby from last night, the nineteenth of November in the Senate. It's the final two weeks of sitting for twenty twenty four and Parliament only returns in February of twenty twenty five. Welcome to a short bonus episode of the Senator Jackie Lamby's full speech. You might remember back in July this year, Senator Lamby brought the Parliament up to speed with the case of Eden Westbrook. She, like all of us, has lots of questions, the same questions that Jason and Amanda have been asking for almost ten years.
The police, who conducted a deeply flawed investigation in the day following Eden's death, stated that Eden had taken her own life, and the coroner also found that Eden's death was suicide. Eden's mum and dad, Jason and Amanda Westbrook don't believe Eden ended her life and neither do I. Amanda and Jason have fortunately ten years to get the truth. Despite gas lighting, intimidation and harassment. Eden was a bright, bubbly and very loved young woman, and immediately before her death she was looking forward to a weekend away the two of her sisters and was planning to buy her first car. Not only was the investigation into Eden's death deeply flawed, the disgraced late Senior Sardeant Paul Reynolds was a coroner's.
Associate in this case.
Reynolds pertophilia activity over three decades in Tasmania as a senior police officer was exposed to some extent by the recent wise review.
In the almost ten minutes speech in the Senate, Jackie Lamby also brought up the information you heard in the last episode around the death and the investigation into Helen Bird's police assume suicide which has later been called murder.
Just a few weeks ago at a Bombshall of coroner's ruling into the two thousand death of Helen Bird by hanging at her home in the suburb of Hobart was overturned. The same police forensics officer on Bird's case was also the forensics officer on Eden's case. Helen's family and friends have been fighting for years to get the truth of her supposed suicide, and now, fourteen years later, the coroner has found that Helen Bird's husband was involved and stated to her death.
To make it look like suicide.
I have recently put in a number of right to information applications in an effort to get answers for the Westbrook family. In one application's response, many of the pages were completely redacted. Exemptions were applied and it was not considered in the public interest to release the information.
Sought about Eden's death.
The argument for a public inquest into Eden's death and an inquest by an external coroner and counsel assisting is compelling, and the evidence support this just keeps backing up. First, the Tasmanian Coroner and Chief Magistrate are still refusing to provide Eden's autopsy photos to the independent expert forensic pathologist authorized by the rest books for an analysis. Just the fact that they won't hand them over suspicious in itself, especially given the evidence from Eden's sisters. Eden's sisters saw Eden's body immediately before she was cremated. Both say that Eden had evidence to bruising to her face and that either Eden's teeth were shattered. Inquiries by Bridgewater Police Police some months after Eden's death with a key witness, King Woodbrook, who according to police, was the first to discover Eden's body, suggests that Eden may have had marks on her wrists, that her hands it may have been tied behind her back. There is also involvement of Reynolds as the coroner's associate, who, in Coroner Mictaggart's own words, provide a regular oversight and direction to the investigation. The Wise Review in twenty twenty four interceeeded Sceenior Sergeant Paul Reynolds failed to deal specifically with Eden Westbrook's matter the written report, despite detailed oral and written submissions from the west Books and their former lawyer, the matter clearly fell within the terms of reference. That is shameful in itself, absolutely shameful. The recent, very recent decision of Coroner Webster in the Helen Bird case roses critical questions. The same coroner on Eden's case found that Helen also died of her phyxia due to hanging, and that her.
Death was suicide.
There is no evidence of an inadequate investigation and forensics and involvement and staging of a suicide by Helen Bird's husband.
The same forensics officer who failed to take any.
Measurements of the rope or the ladder or samples from the rope for DNA testing or fingerprints in Helen's case was the same forensics officer who briefly examined Eden's death scene. Shocking Tasmanian Police Forensic Services is the only police forensic service in Australia not accredited by the National Association of Testing Authorities, and more is the crime scene examiner non independent from Police ah. The birdcase was largely exposed due to the diligence of Tasmanian Police officer Detective Senior Constable Nicki Munroe, and I congratulate her. Sadly, there are no public police champions in Eden's case. The police investigation immediately following Eden's death failed to interview critical witnesses and failed to undertake a professional investigation, and failed again later even though the name of the person of interest and possible suspect were part of the film. Referral from the Commission of Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse in Institutions and the government response in early twenty twenty three.
The more you know about.
The details of this case, the more dodgy it looks. There is stench everywhere and it just won't go away. In the days following Eden's death, the police didn't even ask to look at Eden's mobile phone and they didn't examine her social media accounts. There was also an apparent failure to analyze all trip low calls one three, one four four and crime Stoppers calls around the time, and there was disturbing evidence of harassment intimidation by police of the west Folk family. One Right Information Disclosure recently confirmed that Comfortable Smithhurst did in fact view the relevant CCTV footage of the skate park, and there had been a misunderstanding in relation to information Smithhurst had provided to the rest Books within.
Days of Eden's death.
There are numerous statements taken by the Westbrook's former lawyer, including statements from witnesses, covering critical issues from the evening of the seventeenth of February twenty fifteen, possible perophilia activity in the Saint Helen's area around the time of Eden's death, and the movements and actions of key witness It's very clear to me that the police made up their minds that Eden's death was suicide on day one without first conclusively establishing that there was nothing suspicious. This is clearly illustrated by the material obtained under the RTI. Police also failed to use intelligence data to determine whether there were similar incidents or grooming harassment in Saint Helen's around the time of Eden's death. I questioned why forensic science in Tasmania is not independent from police and why Tasmanian Police is the only police agency in Australia to not have its police forensic services for example, the crime sam examination, the photography, the fingerprints, the ballistics etc. Accredited by NATA, the National Australian National Association of Testing Authorities.
Tasmanians deserve better.
My goodness, no wonder HOLIBO parties in trouble down there. The deficiencies in Eden's case are simply mind blowing. It is time to hold an independent inquiry to ensure that this does not happen again to any other family. An inquest by external coroner and Council assisting with proper legal support for the Westbrooks should be urgently established. Helen's Byrd's death proved that the system can get things terribly wrong. I once again call upon the Tasmanian government, particularly the Attorney General, to make immediate steps to rectify this national space. I say this to the Attorney General. I say this to you in Tasmania.
You can go and.
Change laws to release those autopsy photos.
And I'll tell you what.
My patience is running out with you and I'm sick of your excuses. As a matter of fact, you're sitting in two weeks of parliament and you can't go in and change those laws to put this family out of their misery.
It's important to note that the Attorney General acts as a bridge. They can't unilaterally change law. They have to work within the legislative frame work and collaborate with Parliament, which is what Jackie Lamb he's asking here. She says, given there's only two weeks of parliament left for the year until February of next year, she's urging the Attorney General in Tasmania to move fast, and she's passionate about it.
You seriously are shame Cook, You seriously are I want those goddamn autopsy photos and if there's nothing to hide.
Then release them.
This is putting a real stain on the state of Tasmania, and it's putting a stain on the Tasmanian police.
Was it a proper investigation done or not?
It is a simple a question and we can't decide that until you release those autopsy photos. But there are stats to the High heaven over what happened to Eden Westbrook at fifteen years of age.
And I'll tell you what.
If she was my daughter, I would want to know. I want to know the truth.