In short:
A review into the protections for children who attend school infrequently was launched following the deaths of Clementine and Tiffany Wilkes in a suspected murder-suicide.
asserted
who → attend → suicide
Questions remain about why eight-year-old Clementine was never identified as a child at risk, given she had been withdrawn from mainstream schooling.
What's next?
asserted
's → remain → schooling
A decision is yet to be made into whether an inquest will be held.
asserted
inquest → make → ?
A highly anticipated education department probe into eight-year-old Clementine Wilkes's declining school attendance in the years before she was killed in a suspected murder-suicide has been completed, resulting in "appropriate action".
asserted
she → anticipate → action
The ABC understands mechanisms have been introduced to improve the monitoring of children who move from state schooling to home schooling.
But the Queensland department has declined to elaborate further on action taken while a coronial investigation continues into Clementine’s death alongside her mother, anaesthetist Tiffany Wilkes, who allegedly took her own life.
uncertain
who → understand → life
Queensland Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek launched the review into protections for children who attend school infrequently, and those who are homeschooled, following the deaths which occurred a year ago next week.
asserted
which → launch → deaths
Dr Wilkes, 54, allegedly killed Clementine then took her own life at a luxury Brisbane Airbnb, backing onto Mt Coot-tha Forest, on September 29 last year.
uncertain
Wilkes → kill → September
A decision is yet to be made into whether an inquest will be held.
asserted
inquest → make → ?
Questions remain about why Clementine, nicknamed Clemmie, was never identified as a child at risk, given she had been withdrawn from mainstream schooling.
asserted
she → remain → schooling
Clementine, described as an excellent student, had started missing days at Norman Park State School in 2024 before being taken out of mainstream education altogether in 2025.
asserted
Clementine → describe → 2025
The Queensland Department of Education conducted an internal investigation into the case.
asserted
Department → conduct → case
"An internal review informs system improvements where necessary and is not published externally," a department spokesperson said.
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spokesperson → inform → improvements
"As the coronial investigation remains open and ongoing, it would be inappropriate for the department to comment further at this time."
An ABC investigation has revealed the extreme social isolation Dr Wilkes, a single mother, and Clementine were experiencing before their deaths.
asserted
Wilkes → remain → deaths
Dr Wilkes and Clementine appear to have become nomadic leading up to the tragedy.
asserted
Wilkes → appear → tragedy
Their luxury car was found parked near the Airbnb where they died with children's toys, clothes, and wipes inside.
asserted
they → find → toys
At the time of her death, Dr Wilkes was still employed part-time by Queensland Health as a staff specialist at the Princess Alexandra Hospital.
But she had not worked at the hospital for about 18 months because of mental health issues.
asserted
she → employ → issues
She had previously been employed at Addenbrooke's Hospital at Cambridge in the UK in 2010 and 2011 before returning to Queensland.
asserted
She → employ → Queensland
In April this year, Dr Wilkes' boutique three-bedroom, two-bathroom townhouse in Norman Park fetched $1.6 million at auction.
asserted
townhouse → fetch → auction
The ABC understands the Queensland government sold the home because Dr Wilkes, who held law and arts degrees alongside her medical degree, did not leave a will, and no beneficiaries could be identified.
uncertain
beneficiaries → understand → will
That money sits frozen until a rightful family heir is found.
asserted
heir → sit → ?
Clementine's father has never been publicly identified.
asserted
father → identify → ?
At the time of their deaths, the home was neglected, unfurnished and full of boxes despite being bought by Dr Wilkes in 2023.
asserted
home → buy → 2023
The single mum had posted on social media in 2024 that she and her daughter had become "very sick due to an apartment full of (Chaetomium)", which she described as a "very dangerous mould", prompting them to move out.
"We've had too much exposure already," Dr Wilkes posted.
asserted
Wilkes → post → exposure
In another post, she asked what a hotel guest could do to address drains stinking of "hydrogen sulphide or mould".
uncertain
guest → ask → sulphide
Few clues of family life
Months before the apparent murder-suicide, Dr Wilkes was researching her family history.
But the family tree attached to her public Ancestry profile was small.
asserted
tree → research → profile
As an only child, the Brisbane doctor had no siblings, no living aunts or uncles, and both of her parents were already dead.
asserted
both → have → parents
Her mother Dallas Lorraine Wilkes, who is also understood to have experienced mental health issues, died in May 2021 after a fall.
uncertain
who → understand → fall
Dallas was buried under a tree at Kulangoor Lawn Cemetery on the Sunshine Coast.
asserted
Dallas → bury → Coast
If not for a plot number and a few sunken patches of grass, visitors would not know it was there.
asserted
it → know → grass
Dallas was a librarian born in Townsville and Tiffany's father, Allan Wilkes, was an archivist born in England, who died in 2004.
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who → bear → 2004
The pair married in Sydney and had lived in Armidale, in north-eastern NSW, before making their way back to Queensland.
asserted
pair → marry → Queensland
Tiffany's Ancestry profile leaves few clues of her family life.
asserted
profile → leave → life
Posting photos of her daughter's first week of school, she wrote: "First week of school for Miss Clemmie this week!
asserted
she → post → Clemmie
She loves it!
asserted
She → love → it
In 2021, she thanked her nanny for making a "spectacular lemon and pistachio" birthday cake and hoped for a "fabulous year".
asserted
she → thank → year
Two years later, Dr Wilkes was sectioned under the Mental Health Act as an involuntary patient.
asserted
Wilkes → section → patient
This did not trigger a report to the Child Safety Department.
asserted
This → trigger → Department
Under the Child Protection Act, doctors, registered nurses and teachers are required to report to the department if they form "a reasonable suspicion that a child has suffered, is suffering or is at an unacceptable risk of suffering significant harm caused by physical or sexual abuse, and may not have a parent able and willing to protect them".
uncertain
child → register → them
Decisions about notifying Child Safety are informed by factors such as disclosures, injuries and behaviours of a parent or child; a child’s psychological or emotional state; the child’s age, particularly the vulnerability of young children, and if there is a parent able to protect the child from harm.
asserted
Decisions → notify → harm
If a person is under involuntary assessment or treatment that will be considered as part of those criteria.
asserted
that → consider → criteria
…and 4 more, not listed.
The Aporia