Melbourne school fined after student's death on overseas trip
Kilvington Grammar School has been fined $140,000 after student Lachlan Cook died from diabetes complications on a school trip to Vietnam. A coroner ruled his death preventable.
A Melbourne private school, Kilvington Grammar School, has been fined $140,000 following the tragic death of 16-year-old student Lachlan Cook during a trip to Vietnam in September 2019.
Lachlan experienced complications related to his diabetes while overseas and was admitted to a hospital in Melbourne after showing symptoms. He suffered a heart attack and was taken back to the Royal Children's Hospital, where life support was turned off in October 2019.
The family of Lachlan shared their profound grief, expressing how their "world stopped" following the loss. His mother, Kirsten McMahon, remarked in 2022, "We were a family of four. We're now a family of three. But he won't turn 18, he won't turn 21, we won't be celebrating his university or marriage or grandchildren, there's none of that."
In 2023, a coroner determined that Lachlan's death was preventable, leading WorkSafe to charge both Kilvington Grammar and the travel company, World Challenge Expeditions. Both entities pleaded guilty in the Victorian County Court for failing to protect non-employees from health and safety risks.
Judge Angela Ellis sentenced Kilvington Grammar to a $140,000 fine, while World Challenge received a $150,000 fine. Both were also convicted.
WorkSafe Victoria's Sam Jenkin commented after the sentencing, underscoring that Lachlan's death was a tragedy that should not have occurred. He stated, "Working with children -- especially children with health conditions -- comes with extremely serious responsibilities. Frustratingly, both the school and the trip provider knew Lachlan was diabetic and yet didn't take steps to reduce the risk of illness or death by properly supporting their staff in identifying potentially serious health complications."
