According to a suicide prevention organization, a 10-year-old boy from Australia’s Western Australia state committed suicide while he was in state care.
The incident reportedly happened on Friday in Perth. The organization, which spoke with the media on the boy’s family’s permission, said the child had been taken away from his parents.
According to Megan Krakouer, the NSPTRP’s director, the boy’s death would be regarded as one of the country’s youngest known suicides.
She said the incident was a tragic failure of the government.
The boy was a cheerful and talented child who loved his family. Unfortunately, despite their efforts, his family was not able to get him back.
In 2020, the four youngest members of his family were placed in foster care due to the Department of Communities’ concerns about his parents’ substance abuse.
The boy had been in two different foster homes in the past couple of years.
His siblings, who are now working hard to get back on track, have not been in state care.
According to Ms Krakouer, the four children were taken away from their parents just four days before Christmas because of homelessness.
Despite their problems, the parents were still able to maintain their strong relationship.
They were told six months earlier that they could visit their children unsupervised. However, two weeks later, they never got the chance to do so.
On the day before the boy’s death, the parents saw two of their kids, one of which was an unsupervised four-year-old.
They then went to the mortuary. It was the first time they saw the child in over six months. This incident has reportedly caused a stain on the nation’s image.
This incident is a result of the failure of the WA government, as the suicide rate among Torres Strait Islanders and Aboriginal people continues to be alarming. Senator Lidia Thorpe called the government’s reaction to the boy’s death a national disgrace.
During her speech, Senator Lidia Thorpe said that the government’s actions are appalling. She noted that babies are being taken away from their mothers just moments after they’ve been born. She demanded federal leadership to address the issue. She also mentioned that a report about the inequalities faced by First Nations people is currently sitting on the desk of Linda Burmey, the Minister for Indigenous Affairs.
According to Senator Lidia Thorpe, kids are taught about the stolen generation, but they are not taught that policies such as these are still being carried out. She noted that the government is carrying out genocide against the First Nations people through its policies. She also sent her love and support to the family of the child who died.
In 2016, a 10-year-old girl from the WA town of Looma committed suicide while she was in foster care. Between 2012 and 2017, The Australian reported that three kids aged nine and under killed themselves in regional areas. According to Ms Krakouer, the suicide rate among First Nations people has significantly increased.
Senator Lidia Thorpe stated that there is a need for advocates who are not aligned with the government to provide independent voices for the families. She said that people should not be judged based on their circumstances.