Breaking: Grandmother wins fight for inquest into murders of children by their mother

By Rosemary Murphy ABC Pilbara Topic: State and Territory Parliament Posted Thu 15 Oct 2026 at 4:42pmThu 15 Oct 2026 at 4:42pm, updated Thu 15 Oct 2026 at 4:54pmThu 15 Oct 2026 at 4:54pm Dorothy Papertalk believes a coronial inquest would provide answers about what happened to her grandchildren. ( ABC Pilbara: Alistair Bates ) In short The WA government has announced a coronial inquest into the deaths of three children killed by their mother in 2022. A request for an inquest by their grandmother Dorothy Papertalk was denied last year. What's next? Ms Papertalk is hoping it will provide long awaited answers and lead to wider change in South Hedland, which has been gripped by reports of child poverty. A coronial inquest into the deaths of three children killed by their mother in Port Hedland has been requested by WA's Attorney General, after a sustained campaign led by their grandmother for answers and ongoing political pressure. Margaret Hawke was sentenced to life in prison for the 2022 murders of the children aged 10, 7, and four months. Tributes at the burial site of the three children in WA's north. ( ABC Pilbara: Alistair Bates ) It emerged during court proceedings that Hawke had sought help from a women's refuge the night before the murders, but was told by staff they did not have the capacity to assist. The children's grandmother Dorothy Papertalk had called for an inquest into their deaths, a request denied by then coroner Phil Urquhart last year. WA Attorney General Tony Buti had repeatedly said he was unable to order an inquest into the killings without new evidence, even releasing private legal advice on the matter. That advice had been challenged by some of the state's top legal minds, including former Governor Malcolm McCusker KC and former president of the WA Children's Court Denis Reynolds, who said they believed Mr Buti did have the power to order the inquest. Today Mr Buti said he had reviewed files related to the children's death, which he described as "heartbreaking". "I'm now satisfied there is new evidence and circumstances that were not considered by the former coroner Philip Urquhart in his decision not to conduct an inquest," he said. He said he had written to the current coroner requesting an inquest.