2-year-old in coma for past month dies; had been beaten by custodial father (North-west Victoria, Australia)

UNNAMED DAD is still unnamed despite the fact that he has committed suicide, and that the daughter he beat into a coma has now died. I originally posted on this case on July 13. Still no explanation on how this guy got custody of this little girl.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/03/2643676.htm?section=australia

Toddler dies from severe head injuries
Posted Mon Aug 3, 2009 7:00am AEST Updated 11 hours 13 minutes ago

The death of a two-year-old girl from north-west Victoria is to be investigated by Victoria's Child Safety Commissioner.

The toddler suffered head injuries and was placed in an induced coma at the Royal Children's Hospital after being bashed last month.

Her 26-year-old father was found dead at his mother's home a few weeks ago.

He had been due to face court in relation to his daughter's injuries.

At the time of the father's death, Victorian Child Services Commissioner Bernie Geary said a struggling system had failed the child.

Police say there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.

Stawell detectives are continuing to investigate the incident, as is the Department of Human Services.

Commissioner Geary says his office is also investigating the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.

"When a child dies who is subject to the services, or family is subject to the services of the Department of Human Services, it's my role under the legislation to do an investigation or a review into that death, and look at the services and how services have impacted on the child and the child's family."

He says his inquiry will examine how her welfare managed to slip through the cracks of the child protection system.

"Now that the child has died, which is a terribly unfortunate thing and our heart goes out to the family, my review will be done independent of the department," he said.

"The findings of my investigations will be handed to the Victorian Child Death Review Committee who are separate again from my office and they make recommendations to the department."

'Broader inquiry'

The Opposition spokeswoman for community services, Mary Wooldridge, is calling for a broader inquiry into child protection services.

"This investigation needs to be very detailed and very comprehensive and it needs to be transparent so that the community can have confidence of what comes out and also what's going to change as a result," she said.

"But we also believe that the system needs a broader investigation. John Brumby has admitted that the system has failed."

A spokeswoman for Community Services Minister Lisa Neville says the Child Commissioner's inquiry will be far-reaching.

Premier John Brumby says the Government will await the Child Safety Commissioner's report into the girl's death.

"Any recommendations that they make in relation to the handling of this terrible tragic case will be fully examined by me personally and given the full weight of government," he said.