A 10-year-old First Nations boy has died in an apparent suicide in state care
A 10-year-old First Nations boy has died in an apparent suicide in state care
It is extremely sad to know that the life of a young child was taken away cruelly who might have experienced negligence by the Australian government system. Who can bring justice to the child and the child’s parents? Hon PM Anthony Albanese says that he will hold himself accountable if his government fails. I hope he takes accountability and sees that justice for this young and handsome boy is served swiftly.
I wonder what can compensate for the loss. As a mother, I can’t imagine the pain of parents at this difficult time. My heart goes out to the grieving family. If prayers can heal, I pray no other parent and child must meet a similar fate.
I have given the emotions of the parents and stakeholders published on several news media in quotes so we can reflect on the issue and come together to prevent such tragedies from happening.
According to the www.thenightly.com.au,
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The 10-year-old’s father said he “dropped to the ground” when authorities called him with the tragic news.
“I just screamed, hung the phone up, and dropped to the ground,” he said.
“Then I got a phone call back again from (a police officer) saying that he was gone.”
At the time of his death, he was living in Perth’s northern suburbs under the protection of WA’s Department of Communities.
The parents had not seen their boy in eight months.
They said the boy’s Christmas presents were still wrapped in colourful paper at their house.
“We can never have our little boy back,” his mother said.
The death of a child in State care automatically triggers a coronial inquest.
It means his parents have been forced to wait several days before they could see their child.
“We can’t touch him,” his mother said on the weekend.
“We can’t hug him.”
They finally saw their son on Tuesday afternoon.
They are now making arrangements for his funeral.
“We should not be getting our child back in a box,” his mother said.
The father said they “can’t let this happen to anyone else”.
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According to the www.theGuardian.com,
“A 10-year-old First Nations boy has died in an apparent suicide in state care in Western Australia, advocates for the family say. Advocates for the family say the boy, who cannot be named, took his own life on Friday night, leaving his family “devastated” and triggering a coronial inquiry.
According to the www.theGuardian.com, Megan Krakouer, director of the National Suicide Prevention and Trauma Recovery Project, said the family had other children in state care and had been trying for months to have them brought home. They had been promised overnight stays and unsupervised visits, but it didn’t happen. She told ABC’s Radio National that the boy’s death was “a grave and inhumane fail”.Krakouer described the parents as a strong, kind and solid couple and blamed poverty for the children’s removal. While there had been drug and alcohol issues, they had passed every test in the past year, she said.
She said the “state have failed in their responsibility to care for this young 10-year-old boy”, whom she described as “beautiful” with an “angelic face”. Krakouer called for more support for families, a public register of deaths and self harm, and for the immediate return of the other children.“They want their children back. And not in a box,” she said.
Gerry Georgatos, a social justice and human rights campaigner, has been helping the family. He said they were “devastated” and that their year of clean tests was a “powerful protective factor”.“They should have been reunified a lot earlier,” he said. He echoed Krakouer, saying there was not enough support for families, and said children should not be taken from families if they were not then supported.He added that he hoped the coronial inquest would happen faster than usual. “
According to News.com.au,
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Ms Krakouer said the children were removed “due to homelessness – it is a poverty narrative”, and that while she was “not blind to the fact that in some instances children need to be removed” more could have been done in this case.
But family members have pushed back on that characterisation, saying the children were “removed due to many issues” relating to their home life.
“It took him weeks to be able to talk when they were removed, from the trauma they’ve been through,” the female relative said.
The male relative said, “He wouldn’t let anyone touch his hair or cut his hair, he was hiding behind his fringe. He would hide in a corner, he was really troubled.”
Other sources have separately corroborated the family’s characterisation of the issues that resulted in the children’s removal from the parents.
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Studies suggest that violence and injustice occur when the systems loaded with conscious and unconscious white supremacy, systemic structural racism and mutated attitude of colonisation must end.
Research into suicide among children under the age of 12 is limited due to the rarity of such occurrences and ethical considerations around studying this vulnerable population. However, several factors may contribute to suicide among young children, although it’s important to note that each case is unique and complex.
While mental health disorders are less common in young children compared to adolescents and adults, they can still occur. Conditions such as depression, anxiety, and certain neurodevelopmental disorders can increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours even in young children. Research suggests that early-onset mental health disorders, when left untreated, can contribute to the risk of suicide in this age group.
Adverse childhood experiences, including trauma, abuse, neglect, and exposure to family conflict or violence, can significantly impact a child’s mental health and increase their risk of suicidal behaviour. Research has shown that family dysfunction, instability, and lack of social support can contribute to suicidal ideation and attempts in children.
Bullying and peer victimization are significant risk factors for suicide across all age groups, including young children. Children who experience bullying or social rejection may feel isolated, helpless, and hopeless, which can contribute to suicidal thoughts and behaviours. Research suggests that addressing bullying and promoting positive peer relationships can be important protective factors for preventing suicide in children.
Some children may have underlying vulnerabilities, such as genetic predispositions or temperament traits, that increase their susceptibility to suicidal behaviour. Research suggests that certain personality characteristics, such as impulsivity and emotional dysregulation, may elevate the risk of suicide in children, particularly when combined with other risk factors.
It is such a shame that early identification and intervention along with strategies to promote mental health, resilience, and supportive environments for the child and his family was not offered. Along with the Australian government, the community also let down the child and his family. It has become a trend to criticise and lend a voice when some tragedy happens. It sounds like these voices and efforts are not enough to prevent such things from happening.
We need to act as a society with social responsibility. We do not make noise or raise voices when a child is separated from parents. Do we? Had we focussed on intervention strategies, this could have been prevented from happening.
References:
- American Academy of Pediatrics. (2016). Suicide and Suicide Attempts in Adolescents. Pediatrics, 138(1), e20161420. doi:10.1542/peds.2016-1420
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2021). Suicide: Risk and Protective Factors. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/suicide/riskprotectivefactors.html
- https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/apr/18/wa-first-nations-indigenous-boy-death-state-care-suicide-coronial-inquest
- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-17/wa-authorities-to-investigate-death-by-suicide-of-child-in-care/103737266
- https://thenightly.com.au/australia/exclusive-investigation-indigenous-boy-aged-10-takes-own-life-while-in-care-of-state-government-c-14346104
- https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/mental-health/family-push-back-on-claim-10yearold-indigenous-boy-took-his-own-life-in-foster-care/news-story/1d8ccc47012ed7b1c8102779b0b155f5
In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800. Help for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is available on 13YARN on 13 92 76.