Australia's High Court orders retrial for parents jailed over daughter's starvation death, citing 'miscarriage of justice'

Australia's High Court on Friday accepted in a unanimous decision the appeal of a couple sentenced in 2024 to 12 years in prison for the negligent starvation death of their daughter in Perth. The ruling found that the medical evidence put before the original jury was incomplete and that the defence had been prevented from presenting independent expert testimony.

The court said the process amounted to a 'miscarriage of justice' and remitted the case to the Supreme Court of Western Australia for retrial. The decision does not change the couple's custody status; both will remain incarcerated until the new trial concludes. Child-protection services had previously been subject to an internal review over delays in the original investigation.

The case has reopened a broader Australian debate over the child-protection system. Federal Minister for Child Welfare Anne Aly said in a statement that 'appeal mechanisms of this kind are critical for the justice system to function properly.' The new trial is expected to begin within the next six months.