Three child protection workers have been stood down from their positions following the alleged murder of a five-year-old girl in Alice Springs.
It comes after it emerged that six child protection reports were made about Kumanjayi Little Baby in the six weeks before she was allegedly murdered.
It's understood one of the reports was filed just two days before she disappeared.
The Northern Territory's Department of Children and Families received the reports about the little girl in a 'dangerous environment' from mid-March until two days before she disappeared from Old Timers town camp, in Alice Springs.
More than a dozen child protection reports centred on Kumanjayi Little Baby since her birth, but none of the six recent reports were investigated, The Australian reported.
The latest report was in connection to an alleged aggravated assault on the little girl's mother on April 22. Her father was charged and remains in custody.
Police responded to two of the reports in March and the other four in April, with sources claiming officers were frustrated by a lack of action by child services.
The reports alleged Kumanjayi Little Baby was living in a dangerous environment, had been neglected and was exposed to domestic violence.
Three child protection workers have been stood down following the alleged murder of a five-year-old girl in Alice Springs (pictured, Kumanjayi Little Baby)
Child Protection Minister Robyn Cahill (pictured) confirmed that three workers have been stood down and that an independent investigation would be launched
It comes after reports emerged a total of six child protection reports were made about Kumanjayi Little Baby shortly before she was allegedly murdered (tributes at her home)
Child Protection Minister Robyn Cahill confirmed that three workers have been stood down over the incident and that an independent investigation would be launched.
'Three people have been stood down from their positions as of today, and I am calling for an independent investigation, from someone who was removed from the existing situation, so we can have total accuracy,' she said on Wednesday.
'To be sure that we are getting the information that we need to get to understand how this failure could happen.'
Ms Cahill said she contacted the child protection department on Monday, April 27th - the day after Kumanjayi Little Baby had been reported missing - to ask if any reports had been made about the child's welfare.
She claims she didn't receive a response from the department until the Friday.
Ms Cahill said there are children in the Northern Territory who are currently in similar living situations, but nothing was being done to support them.
She told Sky News she had been clashing with her own department as she plans to introduce new legislation to the Northern Territory parliament.
More to come.