Murdered Toddler Forced To Live In Filth

A toddler who was allegedly murdered by her mother’s boyfriend lived her final days among food scraps and cat faeces.

Child protection authorities are under scrutiny after it was discovered they had failed to investigate the full extent of the living conditions a two-year-old toddler had to endure before she was brutally murdered.

Nikki Francos-Coslovic was found dead in the roof of her mother’s home following an all-day police hunt in August this year.

Her mother’s boyfriend, John Torney, has been charged with the toddler’s murder. It was alleged he was using ice at the time of the murder.

There are now reports that welfare agencies knew Nikki was living in a chaotic and unhygienic home but that they had failed to identify the man accused of her murder as a potential threat, the Herald Sun reports.

The family’s living situation was reviewed by child protection workers in March and April this year, which included 14 visits to the home. In the report, it was noted there was potential for physical harm.

‘Ongoing discussions around the state of the home environment – it is often chaotic and unclean with clothing, toys and other items spread across all surfaces, food scraps, and spills present and cat faeces on the floor,’ the report reads.

‘There is toys, clothing and other objects spread across the home and all surfaces. In the kitchen there is food scraps and spills.

‘Writer believes that the home environment poses a risk to the children – there is the potential for physical harm given there is limited space to move around, and the presence of cat faeces, food scraps and overflowing bins is unhygienic.’

Despite this and further pleas from her father, Nick Coslovich about her safety, Nikki’s file was closed on July 13.

Five weeks later, Nikki’s body was found battered and bruised in the roof of her home.

Her father told Daily Mail Australia he sent a text message pleading with child services to remove Nikki from her mother’s home just eight days before she was allegedly murdered.

The message on August 17 read: ‘I need to get the girls out of that house and fast… I must save my girls b4 its too late. Pls help me.’

Mr Coslovich said he also had several verbal conversations where he raised concerns his ‘kids were not safe’.

Torney has been remanded in custody and will court again in December.