Grieving mother is pushing for urgent change to rental laws after the death of her toddler.
Skye Quartermaine, found her 22-month-old son, Reef Kite, pinned underneath a wooden chest of drawers in their Perth home back in 2015.
The accident occurred after the young mother had asked her landlord if she could secure the furniture to the wall.
Reef died from asphyxia caused by ‘crush injuries’ after the 1.25 metre wooden chest fell on him, 7 News reported the WA Coroner’s Court heard on Monday.
The young mother and her family appeared in court to advocate for a change to rental laws, which would allow tenants to secure furniture to walls without asking permission.
Ms Quartermaine says she was refused permission to bolt the chest of drawers to the wall, but holds no hard feelings towards her former landlord.
‘I would fully advocate and work with anyone willing to help change the law to allow parents to bolt back furniture without any ramifications,’ Ms Quartermaine said.
Assisting counsel to the coroner, Sergeant Lyle Housiaux, told reporters the inquest hopes to raise awareness about the dangers of unstable furniture.
‘One of the main purposes of the inquest is to raise public awareness about the dangers of unstable furniture which is not secured to a wall and is within the reach of children,’ Sgt Housiaux said.
Ms Quartermaine had put her son Reef to sleep in his bedroom on October 13, 2015.
While she checked on the boy to find him sleeping soundly, a few hours later she found the toddler not breathing, having been pinned beneath the drawers.
Watch how easy it is for a chest of drawers to fall below
The family created a group “Bolt it Back for Reef” to keep pushing and raise awareness to families so no-one else suffers like they have.
Yesterday we shared that another toddler had died earlier this year after the Ikea drawers toppled on top of him. He was the eighth child to be killed by the dressers. Read that heartbreaking story here.
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