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Home / World

Tiahleigh Palmer's Kiwi mother furious over parents copying daughter's name

By Benedict Brook
news.com.au·
6 Sep, 2018 06:52 AM4 mins to read

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Tiahleigh Palmer went missing, but was later found to have been murdered.

Tiahleigh Palmer went missing, but was later found to have been murdered.

The mother of murdered schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer has taken to social media in an expletive-ridden tirade against parents who choose to give their newborn the same name as her slain child.

New Zealand woman Cyndi Palmer said Tiahleigh was a name she had invented for her daughter "specifically" and she was "beyond wild" a child born since her death had been given the same name.

In May, Tiahleigh's foster father Rick Thorburn was given a life sentence for the 12-year-old's murder.

Tiahleigh Palmer's mother Cyndi. Photo / Channel 9
Tiahleigh Palmer's mother Cyndi. Photo / Channel 9

She had been placed with the Thorburn family, who lived in a rural area south of Brisbane, in January 2015.

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Tiahleigh later told a friend she was having sexual intercourse with Trent, the 18-year-old son of Rick. At some point, he became concerned he had impregnated the child who had been placed in the family's care.

Trent's mum Julene and the rest of the Thorburn clan found out about the relationship and within 48 hours, in late October that year, she was dead.

Tiahleigh had remained in contact with her mother Cyndi throughout their turbulent time in care.

In a Facebook post this week to the private Justice4Tiaheligh Facebook group, Cyndi let rip at "little f***ing teenagers". She claimed they had agreed not to call their newborn child Tiahleigh, but they then appeared to have done exactly that.

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"Little f***ing teenagers who think it's fun to have babies … and then name that kid after my deceased daughter to whom they weren't even friends for what I can only think of as attention!" she wrote.

"That wasn't their name, that was Tiahleigh's family to use if they chose to. That name isn't random or common name, that name I made for Tiahleigh specifically."

Cyndi went on to say she had contacted "the kids" and had received assurances they would not use the name Tiahleigh.

"Now the baby is born and boom. I'm beyond wild. If this was my child there would be no way I would let my child name a baby after someone who has passed, especially under such horrific circumstances."

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Tiahleigh Palmer went missing, but was later found to have been murdered.
Tiahleigh Palmer went missing, but was later found to have been murdered.

Some in the group didn't share Cyndi's fury and pointed out many children had similar sounding names.

But the mum replied that it was the specific spelling of Tiahleigh, which she claims she invented, that riled her.

One person called Cyndi out and said he had "no ownership" over the name and was "spreading hate to teenage girls".

But Cyndi was having none of it. "Old enough to have a baby, old enough to be called out," she replied.

"They said they would change it which is why I am so upset."

Other commenters has more sympathy. "It's' such a beautiful name, it doesn't feel right to use it," one wrote.

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Rick Thorburn told police he had dropped Tiahleigh off at school when he had actually smothered her to prevent any scandal about brother Trent's sexual relationship with a child.

The rest of the family, including the youngest son Joshua, then covered up the crime.

Her badly decomposed body was found in the Gold Coast's Pimpama River, six days later.

Cyndi Palmer, mother of deceased 12-year-old girl Tiahleigh Palmer, makes an appeal for information today at Logan police station. Photo / News Corp Australia
Cyndi Palmer, mother of deceased 12-year-old girl Tiahleigh Palmer, makes an appeal for information today at Logan police station. Photo / News Corp Australia

Julene and Josh Thorburn were charged perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Trent Thorburn was charged with incest, attempting to pervert the course of justice and two counts of perjury.

Trent and Rick Thorburn were denied bail, and last year, Trent Thorburn began a maximum four-year, minimum five-month sentence for incest and his other charges.

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Joshua Thorburn received a three-month sentence, and Julene a maximum 18 months.

Rick Thorburn will spend the rest of his life in jail after pleading guilty to murdering the 12-year-old. He will need to serve 20 years in prison before being eligible for parole on September 12, 2036.

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