Months. That is how long Western Australians may have to wait before they learn how brothers Leon and Otis Clune died inside the family home at Mott Close, Mosman Park, on 30 January.
WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch confirmed on Wednesday that the active police investigation into the deaths of the four family members had concluded and the matter was now, in his words, "under control of the coroner." Toxicology results, which could reveal how the two boys died, have not yet been received, with Mr Blanch acknowledging the process takes considerable time.
Leon, 16, and Otis, 14, along with their parents Jarrod Clune and Maiweena Goasdoue, were found dead at the property after a person known to the family, believed to be a carer for the boys, discovered a note on the front door warning them not to enter and to call police. Both boys are believed to have been killed by their parents before the parents took their own lives.
The case has prompted urgent questions about whether government systems failed this family. Both brothers had autism, and recent reports have suggested one of them had his National Disability Insurance Scheme funding cut in the period before the tragedy. That detail has become a focal point for those calling for a full coronial inquest.
Cottesloe MP Sandra Brewer was among the first to call publicly for an inquest, telling Parliament there was "a deep sense of grief and concern across the community" and a strong desire to understand the events leading up to the deaths. She called on Premier Roger Cook and the Attorney General to use their powers under the WA Coroners Act to direct the coroner to hold a formal inquiry.
Disability Discrimination Commissioner Rosemary Kayess has gone further, arguing the case reflects a systemic failure to support families caring for children with disability. "A coronial inquest is urgently needed to ensure strong investigative powers to respond to this tragedy and to identify the underlying and systemic issues that led to the parents' actions," she said. Commissioner Kayess also called for urgent action on the 222 recommendations of the Disability Royal Commission, warning that without meaningful reform, similar tragedies would occur again.
Premier Cook has declined to direct the coroner to hold an inquest, maintaining that decision rests with the coroner independently. That position is technically defensible, but it sits uneasily alongside the fact that the WA Coroners Act does give the State Government and Attorney General the explicit power to compel an inquest when they judge the public interest demands it.
Here's the thing: the distinction between "we can't" and "we won't" matters enormously to grieving communities and disability advocates who want accountability.
The calls for an inquest deserve to be taken seriously on their merits. Coronial inquiries serve a distinct purpose from police investigations. They are specifically designed to examine systemic failures, make recommendations for reform, and provide families and communities with a public record of what happened and why. In cases where government-funded support services may be implicated, there is a strong democratic argument that the public is entitled to that accounting.
At the same time, the Premier's caution about prejudging the coroner's independence is not without merit. Coronial processes have integrity precisely because they are insulated from political pressure. Directing an inquest by ministerial order, rather than allowing the coroner to assess the evidence and decide, carries its own risks for institutional credibility.
The WA Coroners Court had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication, according to 7News, which first reported the Commissioner's update. With toxicology results still outstanding and the investigation formally transferred, the community faces an uncomfortable wait, not only for facts, but for any meaningful signal that the systems meant to support vulnerable families are being examined with the rigour this case demands.
The tragedy at Mosman Park sits at the intersection of disability support, family welfare, and the adequacy of government services. Reasonable people will disagree about whether a ministerial direction or a voluntary coronial review is the right mechanism. What is harder to dispute is that the public record, whatever form it eventually takes, needs to be thorough enough to answer the questions this community is already asking.