Boy's suicide in residential care home should 'jolt' child safety department into action, advocates say
A 15-year-old Aboriginal boy, subject to a child protection order, died by suicide in a Queensland residential care home last weekend.
His body was discovered by other children at the Ipswich facility, south of Brisbane.
It has prompted calls from advocates for his death to be investigated by an ongoing inquiry into the state's "broken" child protection system.
That 17-month commission of inquiry is reviewing the system's approach to keeping children safe.
Sisters Inside chief executive Debbie Kilroy said the young people supported by the organisation were extremely "distressed" by the boy's death.
"I'm confused about why these deaths of children in care continue to happen," she told the ABC.
Youth Advocacy Centre chief executive Katherine Hayes said the child's "shocking death" should "jolt" the Department of Child Safety into action.
"How many more lives of children will be wasted?" she questioned.
Ms Hayes urged the government to "address the obvious failings in the residential care system without delay".
"Everyday, children are suffering in placements that are not fit for purpose," she said.
"These kids cannot wait for the outcome of the current Child Safety Commission — the government must act now."
The risk of suicide is up to four times higher among children in out-of-home care than in the general population, according to research by Queensland's Child Death Review Board.
The state's Family and Child Commissioner Luke Twyford said he struggled to comprehend the numbers.
"Over the last five years, 29 children who were known to the child protection system have died by suicide," he said.
"The death of any child is an immense loss, and it's vital we honour them by learning all we can from their life experiences."
The Department of Child Safety said legislation prevented it from disclosing information about individual cases.
"Keeping vulnerable children safe remains our highest priority," a spokesperson said in a statement.
"Young people known to the department have often been exposed to trauma, including abuse, violence and neglect, which can negatively affect their mental health and wellbeing."
The department said if a child who died had been known to child safety authorities in the 12 months before their death, a review would be undertaken by a specialist internal team.
"This review is then considered by the independent Child Death Review Board located within the Queensland Family and Child Commission," the spokesperson said.
Queensland Child Safety Minister Amanda Camm said the loss of any young life was a "tragedy".
"The Children in Care Census 2024 details a harrowing picture of the mental health struggles of young people living in out-of-home care in this state, and that is deeply concerning to me," she said.
The minister said the commission of inquiry had been called to investigate the system as a whole "through the lens of young people".
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