Burgundy-Rose Brown died aged 16 in a car crash last year. Her mother is still waiting for a coronial inquest to be held. Photo / Facebook
Burgundy-Rose Brown died aged 16 in a car crash last year. Her mother is still waiting for a coronial inquest to be held. Photo / Facebook
In the more than 14 months since her daughter's death, Anita Terrell has held a memorial for the teen, started a new job and moved house twice.
But the Christchurch mum is still waiting for an inquest into the deaths of her daughter, Burgundy-Rose Brown, 16, and herboyfriend, Dexter Barham, 16, after the car he was driving collided head-on with another vehicle on March 18 last year.
She's among thousands of grieving Kiwis who can't yet close a key chapter on the deaths of their loved ones, as the country's coroners buckle under a backlog of cases so large Courts Minister Andrew Little announced yesterday eight relief coroners had been appointed to tackle delays ofup to three years for an inquest.
The backlog of caseloads has increased from 3150 in 2014/15 to 4089 in 2017/18, and the average time to close a coronial case also increased — it was 311 days in 2016/17, but rose to 345 days in 2017/18.
"More relief coroners will provide more support so families aren't waiting long periods for coronial decisions affecting their loved ones," Little said.
"Families have expressed frustration over the delays in coronial decisions. This extra support is aimed to reduce waiting times for grieving families."
Dexter's family couldn't be contacted, but Terrell welcomed Little's decision.
Dexter Barham and Burgundy-Rose Brown had been dating a few weeks when they died together in a March 2018 crash. Photo / Supplied via Facebook
The business of living went on for her and her two surviving children, because she knew it was what her daughter would want.
But always, in the back of her mind, was the knowledge that she had another reminder of her loss to get through — the inquest, Terrell said.
A police spokeswoman confirmed to the Herald last night the police investigation had ended and the case had been passed on to the coroner.
Terrell said she had "heard nothing" and had no idea when the inquest would take place.
Burgundy-Rose Brown told her mum she wanted to be a flight attendant "because the world is calling me". Photo / Supplied
Part of her was happy for that to continue - because she was dreading it - but she also needed a sense of closure. "It's one of the final stages that has to be completed ... and I know that it's in the back of my mind, that one day I'll get a letter, an email or a call and it will bring it all up. It's opening up a wound.
"[The inquest] closes a chapter. It doesn't close the whole book, but it helps with the healing process."
Sisters Magenta, left, and Burgundy-Rose Brown. Burgundy-Rose, 16, died a day before her sister's 14th birthday. Photo / Supplied
She was also looking forward to getting Burgundy-Rose's cellphone back after the inquest, because she wanted to read her daughter's final messages, Terrell said.
Coroners determine the cause of death in cases where a person's death is sudden, unexplained or violent, either with an inquest in court or "on papers", through evidence sent to the coroner.
But the number of deaths referred to New Zealand's 17 coroners is increasing each year and some families, including those of suicide-bereaved whānau, have waited more than three years for an inquest.
Little said yesterday the eight relief coroners' main focus would be on clearing the backlog of cases by providing support to the National Initial Investigation Office, which was notified of all sudden, unexplained or violent deaths in New Zealand and operated 24/7.
Terrell said she felt for other families waiting for answers about a loved one's death.
She knew why Burgundy-Rose and her boyfriend had died — Dexter, a learner driver, was believed to have crossed the centre line in the crash, about 6am on State Highway 1, north of Amberley. Three others were hurt in the crash, one critically.
Terrell held no animosity towards Dexter — a March memorial, a "car run" to Sumner Beach, was for both teens — and an inquest wouldn't change the fact two lives had been lost.
But she was hopeful any lessons that could be learned would be.
She had already spoken to police about her hope that in future those selling vehicles would be required to check the buyer had a licence, which she said hadn't happened when Dexter bought the car hours before the crash.
"That could be a good turning point for our youth."
