Mother seeks court order for inquest into daughter's death after mental health discharge

The mother of a Queensland woman who died in Kakadu National Park after receiving mental health treatment at Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH) in 2023 has applied for court orders that would force the Northern Territory coroner to hold an inquest.

Jessica Stephens, 35, was missing for almost a week before police found her remains on Burrungkuy Rock, six days after her mother Karon Evans reported her missing on October 18.

At the time, Ms Evans told the ABC her daughter had travelled to Darwin from her home in the Whitsundays, before driving to Kakadu following her discharge from hospital.

"I know she wasn't very well when they discharged her, but they deemed her well enough to be discharged," she said in 2023.

In documents filed with the NT Supreme Court last month, Ms Evans says coroner Elisabeth Armitage formally declined to hold an inquest into Ms Stephens's death in February this year.

"The essential material from Queensland Health, Queensland Mental Health Tribunal and Queensland Child Safety was not fully available or disclosed at the time of the coroner's investigation," Ms Evans's originating motion reads.

"Conflicting statements appear between the coronial findings and the deputy coroner's refusal letter of the 20th [of] February, 2026 regarding what records were obtained."

Ms Evans also claims NT Health's own findings detailed in the coroner's report state that the health department "did not follow its own policy and procedures in Jessica's discharge".

"[The] compressed time frames from when the Coroner received the final root cause analysis on the 4th [of] February, 2026 concerning discharge, accommodation and continuity of care failures, raises serious questions [about] if the coroner was able to give a fully and properly considered report before the refusal was given," the documents read.

"NT Health may have withheld documents from the coroner received from Jessica's treating team in Proserpine Queensland. Documents not mentioned in the coroner's report nor NT Health's own disclosure."

The documents state that "key evidence" about what happened "can only be compelled via judicial process, such as an inquest" and that "the public interest requires a full, independent examination".

Ms Evans is seeking a declaration that Ms Stephens's death "ought properly to have been treated as a death occurring while in care", triggering a mandatory inquest, or otherwise that the Supreme Court use its discretionary powers to order an inquest regardless.

Judge Armitage's office is yet to file a defence to the lawsuit.

After her daughter's death in 2023, Ms Evans told the ABC her family's hearts were broken.

"Our beautiful Jess has been found, her soul released to the peace of the Dreamtime and heaven," she said.

"We will miss our beautiful daughter, sister, mother and granddaughter."

NT Health has been contacted for comment.