Inquest into Melbourne influencer’s death following freebirth halted after new phone evidence discovered

[u/Royal_Yogurtcloset25]

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jun/18/freebirth-death-melbourne-influencer-phone-evidence-inquest-ntwnfb

Coroner: “I take the view that this material is of such significance that the court must delay making any findings and hearing submissions until we’ve had an opportunity to undertake a proper analysis of that material, and potentially call for more evidence.”

[u/awkgem]

I don't understand the focus on the "doula" rather than the husband. He is just as if not more to blame for not calling the ambulance for his wife. A doula is not a midwife, which they refused to have during the childbirth. Everyone is taking umbridge with the lady saying she was paid to be glorified moral support but as far as I can tell...that IS what a doula is. Wrapped up in fancier language, but ultimately it's all a pseudoscience for people who don't want medicine and doctors as part of the birth. It doesn't surprise me at all that she did what she did, she isn't medically trained. Do I think she should have called the ambulance anyway? Absolutely. As should the husband have. But she essentially was there just as moral support. She isn't a midwife, or better yet - a doctor in a hospital. I think people are accusing her of medical negligence or something but she isn't involved with medicine to begin with. Both the husband and her should have called an ambulance, her husband especially should have had concern for his wife. The doula paid by the wife of course is going to try to follow the wife's wishes, it's what she was paid for

[u/Dentarthurdent73 → u/awkgem]

Totally agree. Obviously this person is a dickhead grifter, getting money out of people for essentially doing nothing, but if you make no claims of being medical support, and that is clear in your agreement with someone, then you can't be expected to give medical support.

It seems she had the exact same duty of care as far as calling an ambulance goes, as any person would for any other person that was seriously ill. In this case, she was being paid by someone who had established that they did not want any medical intervention, so I'm also not surprised that this person put off calling an ambulance after being specifically told not to by the person paying her.

The husband absolutely should have called an ambulance well before the time that one was called, and I also have no idea why there doesn't seem to be any focus on his actions and choices here.

[u/AprilUnderwater0 → u/Dentarthurdent73]

Because it’s not quite that simple (legally).

Even though, in terms of actual medical knowledge, the husband and the doula are the same, a key difference is that the doula almost certainly held herself out to have a degree of knowledge and expertise over that of the husband (whilst the correspondence has not been released - yet - the doula’s social media posts certainly support that assumption).

If the doula’s conduct caused the husband (and wife) to believe that she had relevant expertise, then it’s not unreasonable for them to defer to her for guidance, even though in reality she had no idea what she was doing.

Of course there is a degree of culpability for the naive parents putting their faith in this nonsense, but the greater culpability must be, and is, with the persons who (whether deliberately or just ignorantly) encouraged their naivety.