Fifty-six months after the death of her son, a Griffith mother is still fighting for justice.
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The grieving parents of Ben Catanzariti’s were shattered when criminal proceedings into his untimely death were dropped in November, dragging them deeper into the expensive court system.
The 21-year old was crushed in 2012 when a 39-metre concrete pouring boom – serviced six-weeks prior to the accident – fell at a building site in Canberra.
Kay Catanzariti said three expert reports could not give the same reasoning why the bolts failed, resulting in the decriminalising of the case.
“We feel gutted,” she said. “All we want is the truth and the opportunity to have our questions answered – Then we’ll feel we’ve tried our best as parents.”
In a final bid for justice, Kay Catanzariti said they would appear at the Coroner’s court later this month.
She said at the end of the day, her son should not be dead and laws needed to be changed to support the investigation process and help families find closure.
“The AFP and Workplace Safety don’t have the strongest lawyers,” she said. “Companies do … they have bottomless pockets ... they’re insured for two-deaths every year and they’re legal expenses are tax-deductible.”
Mrs Catanzariti said it was hard enough trying to get out of bed in the morning without navigating and understanding official proceedings and legislation.
“I still feel like a failure because I’m not wealthy and I don’t have the intellect within the legal system,” she said. “We are nobody.”
She hopes a senate inquiry this year will find a way to prevent further loss.
