THE pain on the face of Marlene Dangus was clear.
In driving rain, Ms Dangus stood outside Beenleigh Magistrates Court holding a bright purple sign high above her head.
Scrawled across it in black marker were the simple words ‘Justice for Tiahleigh. All Lives Matter’.
As media crowded around her, Ms Dangus revealed she had no relation to the family of Tiahleigh Palmer, the 12-year-old schoolgirl whose decomposing body was found on the banks of the Pimpama River in November last year.
“I don’t know her family at all,” Ms Dangus said.
“I’m just here to support the family and to inform people that we need to get together and fight this hideous crime that’s happening in our community.”
“I can’t understand how this has happened in our own suburban streets. This is so wrong.”
The impromptu protest seemed to capture the growing community angst about how Tiahleigh, a foster child, may have ended up dead at the very hands of the people meant to protect her.
On Wednesday, as a family of four stood charged in relation to the little girls murder, child protection group Bravehearts demanded a full investigation into her death.
Bravehearts founder Hetty Johnson, a former Logan mayoral candidate, told the ABC there needed to be stricter protections in place for the state’s most disadvantaged children.
"The real question is what did we know about this family," she said.
"I would hope that all of the inquiries and all of the work being done in Queensland around foster care systems that they were properly vetted.”
"That's what we hope.”
Her calls were similar to those from Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls, who said the LNP had been concerned "for some time about the child protection system".
"In terms of the foster care system, (the Tiahleigh Palmer case) will no doubt be something that will be examined by the child and family services commission," Mr Nicholls said.
"It should be investigated by (the Queensland Family and Child Commission), but we need to wait and see, I think, for the results of the police investigation before commenting too much further.”
Back outside Beenleigh Magistrates Court, Ms Dangus also called on the government to re-examine the child protection system.
“I’m extremely disillusioned with the government and the way they handle our children,” she said.
“We need to protect our kids. Come on Brisbane, we need to come together and support our children.”
“The government needs to pull its finger out. All lives matter.”
As Ms Dangus spoke to the media, her granddaughter cast a forlorn figure beside her.
The little girl, not much younger than Tiahleigh, clasped the large sign in her tiny hands and stared straight at the ground as cameras snapped away.
In that one moment, the grief of the wider community was summed up all too well.
