SYDNEY: An Australian woman whose bouncy castle was blown into the air by a freak wind event, killing six children, was found not guilty Friday (June 6) of failing to meet her health and safety duties.
In December 2021, a gust of wind lifted the inflatable castle about 10m (33 feet) into the air while children were celebrating the end of their year at a primary school in Devonport, northern Tasmania.
Six children died and three were seriously injured.
Rosemary Gamble, owner of party equipment company Taz-Zorb that operated the bouncy castle, was charged with failing to comply with a workplace health and safety duty.
She pleaded not guilty and on Friday the Devonport Magistrates Court dismissed the charges against her.
Magistrate Robert Webster said the bouncy castle was lifted into the air by an "unprecedented weather system, namely a dust devil".
"Gamble could have done more or taken further steps however given the effects of the unforeseen and unforeseeable dust devil, had she done so, that would sadly have made no difference to the ultimate outcome," Webster said in his decision.
"In those circumstances I find the charge is not proved. It is therefore dismissed."
Gamble said she accepted how "deeply and tragically this incident impacted so many people and families".
"I realise those scars will remain for an extremely long time, likely forever," she said in a statement to the Australian national broadcaster ABC.
"There are no words to describe how I have felt ever since that tragic incident took so much away from so many people and left nothing but heartbreak and emptiness in its place.
"I never meant for something like this to happen. And I am just so sorry that it did."
Andrew Dodt, the father of one of the children who died in the incident, said he had been "broken for a long time".
"And I think I'm going to be broken for a lot more," Dodt said in a statement to the ABC. - AFP
