who had matured earlier than her peers, battled attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, experienced mood swings and showed difficult behaviour, Westmead Coroner's Court heard yesterday.
Michelle had been reported to the Department of Community Services 37 times in the 33 months leading up to her death.
She had repeatedly run away from home, got into fights and skipped school.
Then, on a hot February weekend in 2004, her body was found in a Mount Druitt reserve. She had been last seen about 36 hours earlier, on Friday night, after attending a nearby street party.
But temperatures had reached 45 degrees and her naked body had decomposed significantly by the time she was found.
No definite cause, time or place of death could be
determined, found the NSW deputy state coroner, Carl Milovanovich.
"Everything was against Michelle. Even in her death we are left with so many unanswered questions," Mr Milovanovich said.
"Listening to the evidence paints a very sad story of the young girl who obviously had some very sad difficulties in her life."
Michelle's body had no significant skeletal injuries but it was possible the teenager had been asphyxiated. However, no evidence remained, he said.
She was still wearing clean white socks when she was found in bushland, leading police to suspect she died elsewhere, the court heard.
The main hope for the future would be that a DNA sample taken from her body, believed to be that of a man, could one day be matched with someone, Mr Milovanovich said.
He recommended that police should offer a reward of about $100,000 for information leading to a conviction. The unsolved homicides squad should also regularly review the case "until the person or persons responsible for her death are brought to
justice..".
The case was a tragic one and Michelle was hard to supervise, Mr Milovanovich said, not laying blame on Michelle's parents or the Department of Community Services.
"The primary responsibility [for children] must rest with the parents," he said. "But sometimes children are so difficult that they need help." It was the responsibility of the department to provide such help, he said.
"It is hoped that [reports to DOCS are] appropriately prioritised and followed through so that our most vulnerable resources, our children, can be protected."
The department's casework manager, Dianne Carroll, told the inquest that some reports about Michelle did not result in action but that the case was closed numerous times because of lack of staff and competing priorities.
At other times, the
family was referred to medical and social services, or parenting courses. The department also offered case conferences, home visits and liaison with police and Michelle's school.
Also, it was difficult to find alternative accommodation for teenagers.
Shortly before her death, the department decided against placing Michelle under a court order but this would not have made a difference, Ms Carroll said. "It does not
necessarily mean you can enforce [a court order]. You can't force her."
By Geesche Jacobsen
February 7, 2006
