Inquest into Luke Batty’s death about ‘saving children’s lives’: mother

The mother of Luke Batty, the boy brutally killed by his father in Victoria, says the upcoming inquest into his death is about “saving children’s lives”.

The coronial inquest will focus on the final 18 months of Luke’s life before he was killed at cricket training, as well as what police and social workers could have done to protect him.

Speaking outside court, Luke’s mother Rosie Batty said the inquest would give Luke a voice.

“Children have very little voice,” Ms Batty said.

“We have to understand that since Luke’s death, children have been killed.

“This is about saving children’s lives. This is not about agencies protecting themselves,” she said.

Greg Anderson, 54, was shot dead by police after he killed his 11-year-old son Luke during a custody visit in the Victorian town of Tyabb in February.

Anderson had been playing with his son when he suddenly struck the boy in the head with a cricket bat and stabbed him at the Tyabb cricket oval, the only place where he was legally allowed to visit his son due to an intervention order.

State Coroner Judge Ian Gray ruled on Thursday the inquest will focus on what Victoria Police and the Department of Human Services (DHS) knew about the family violence threat posed by Anderson to his son and what they did in response.

The intervention orders taken out against Anderson, which initially restricted access to Luke but were later changed to allow limited access, will also be investigated.

Luke's mother Rosie Batty had requested that the inquest examine police prosecutors and their handling of bail applications made in court by Anderson.

The Victorian Coroners Court heard police initially opposed Anderson getting bail in early 2013, but did not oppose his bail at another hearing in mid 2013.

Anderson had breached an intervention order and was caught with child pornography, the court heard.

But Judge Gray ruled the bail issue was not relevant, given the matters were not serious enough to have kept Anderson in jail until the time he killed Luke.

With AAP.