Authorities ‘failed to intervene’ in Kimberley child abuse case: WA inquest told

One of the last people to speak to a 13-year-old boy from a remote Western Australian Aboriginal community before he killed himself has told an inquest child protection authorities failed to intervene despite reports of domestic violence.

A coronial inquest into a cluster of suicides by 13 young indigenous people in the Kimberley heard former Kununurra District High School deputy principal Jamieson Coltman had spoken with the boy at school on the morning of his death and knew he had “issues at home” with his stepfather.

Mr Coltman said teachers “don’t really get anywhere” when they refer concerns of child abuse to welfare agencies due to a lack of resourcing, adding a team “more dedicated” to helping older children, rather than prioritising primary school cases, was needed.

The child suffered a deprived upbringing, having been admitted to hospital with failure to thrive at 17 months and being classified as underweight and anaemic six weeks before his death.

The teen’s father had been jailed for family violence and his mother’s de facto relationship also involved frequent abuse around the time he died.

Mr Coltman described the teen as a “very intelligent young man” who attended school fairly regularly in his primary years.

“He was happy, jovial, loved a joke. He loved working with his hands,” Mr Coltman said.

But in the year of his death, the boy was skipping school, engaging in violent behaviour and associating with “the wrong crowd” late at night.

Between 2010 and 2014 he was suspended 10 times for physical assaults and intimidation of students and teachers.

The school tried to have him see a psychologist and work on a remote Northern Territory cattle station with his uncles, but both efforts failed.

WA Coroner Fos Fogliani heard on the day of his death, the boy attended a ‘Battle of the Bands’ school performance with his mother and stepfather.

Mr Coltman said he spoke briefly with the boy, who showed “typical teenage demeanour”, shy but not solemn.

“Basically I put my hand on his shoulder, told him it was great to see him back at school,” Mr Coltman.

Mr Coltman said he vividly remembers seeing the teen’s grandmother run across the school yard in tears just hours later, saying something terrible had happened.

Mr Coltman said teacher turnover was high in the region and that staff need more hands on, culturally competent and trauma-informed training around children who have Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.