Coronial
NSWcommunity

Inquests into the deaths of Mona Lisa and Jacinta Smith

Deceased

Mona Lisa Smith and Jacinta Rose Smith

Demographics

female

Date of death

1987-12-06

Finding date

2024-04-23

Cause of death

Mona: multiple internal injuries (including head and lung injuries) sustained in motor vehicle accident, leading to extensive blood loss. Cindy: multiple internal injuries (including pelvic and lung injuries) sustained in motor vehicle accident, leading to extensive blood loss.

AI-generated summary

Mona Lisa Smith (16) and Jacinta 'Cindy' Rose Smith (15), Aboriginal girls from Bourke, NSW, died in a single-vehicle motor vehicle accident on 6 December 1987 when a Toyota utility driven by Alexander Grant rolled over on the Mitchell Highway south of Enngonia. Contributing factors included Mr Grant's intoxication (BAC approximately 0.26%), fatigue, speed, and lack of lighting. The initial 1987 police investigation was profoundly deficient, failing to secure the crash scene, preserve the vehicle as evidence, interview key witnesses, or investigate driver identity despite Mr Grant's initial admission to police that he was driving. This deficiency meant critical evidence was lost. The coroner found evidence of systemic racism and cultural bias affecting the investigation, including failure to notify and support the families appropriately. Evidence indicated sexual interference with Cindy's body post-mortem, though prosecution could not proceed due to timing of death issues. A re-investigation in May 1988 was delayed, arriving too late to preserve vital evidence.

AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.

Specialties

forensic medicine

Error types

diagnosticsystemdelay

Drugs involved

alcohol

Clinical conditions

head injurylung injurypelvic injuryinternal bleedingblunt force trauma

Contributing factors

  • driver intoxication (alcohol)
  • fatigue
  • excessive speed
  • lack of road lighting
  • unrestrained occupants
  • inappropriate steering inputs by driver
  • vehicle rollover

Coroner's recommendations

  1. That the Commissioner of the NSW Police Force develop guidelines for the review of investigations relating to deaths that are the subject of a request for advice from the NSW Attorney General to the Commissioner of the NSW Police Force, where the Attorney General is considering an application for the holding of a fresh or further inquest into the death/s. Such guidelines should include: (a) the methodology of the review; (b) transparency of the review process; (c) the involvement of any experts (including independent experts as required); and (d) consultation with the family of the deceased. In formulating the guidelines, the standard operating procedures applicable to the review of homicide investigations should be considered and applied as appropriate.
  2. That the NSW Police Force review their training in relation to the history of First Nations Peoples to ensure that it is as comprehensive as possible in relation to the history of colonisation and the ongoing impact of colonisation on First Nations peoples today. Where possible, Aboriginal Liaison officers should be engaged in delivering ongoing training for Police.
Full text
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Source and disclaimer

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