Call to open up about 10-year-old’s death

Suicide prevention expert Gerry Georgatos says it’s critical that children in State care are allowed to share their stories with the public through the media. The death by suicide of a 10-year-old Indigenous boy from the Kimberley in State care earlier this month has prompted Mr Georgatos to pioneer the Let Them Speak campaign. “The power of the media is second to none; without it, we can’t effect change. Governments cannot be swayed unless the narrative is in the public domain,” Mr Georgatos said. Under the Children and Community Services Act (2004), it is illegal to broadcast or publish anything that could identify any child who is or has been the subject of a protection order. Though the 10-year-old’s death has been widely reported, critical details, such as the child’s name, cannot be revealed. “We can’t have deaths happening that we can’t speak to, and we skirted the line with this one. We’ve come close to breaking the law by speaking with publications,” Mr Georgatos said. He has been working with the boy’s grieving family every day since the loss of their beloved brother and son. Mr Georgatos said the child’s parents had returned clean drug and alcohol samples over the last year. Despite this, he had no contact with his parents for eight months before his death. “As a suicide prevention researcher, I can argue that a year clean is a powerful protective factor,” he said. “The usual practice is to return kids to their families after the parents have returned clean drug and alcohol testing samples for three to six months. If that had happened in this case, at the six-month mark, that boy would still be alive today.” However, Minister for Early Child Protection and Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Sabine Winton said it would be inappropriate for a minister to provide comment on an individual case. “The safety and wellbeing of children is always the highest priority of the Cook Government,” Ms Winton said. “My focus is on keeping children safely at home, where this is possible. A recommendation to bring a child into the care of the State is only made as a last resort, and a final decision rests with the Children’s Court of Western Australia.” When asked for a response to demands by advocates that the Children and Community Services Act be reformed, Ms Winton said: “It is reviewed every five years.” For Mr Georgatos, the minister’s response is unacceptable. He knows the ripple effect that publishing these stories can have. In 2019, Mr Georgatos obtained permission from the then director-general of the Department of Communities, Michelle Andrews, for a young woman he was supporting, Tah-Shae, to share her experience of being placed in 72 foster homes in a 12-year period with the West Australian. Tah-Shae detailed the sexual abuse, bullying, and neglect she experienced while in State care. The impact of her story sparked a wider public conversation about the merits of placing children, specifically Indigenous children, in State care. “The impact of her telling her experiences while in care was an eye-opener to the dire circumstances many endure,” Mr Georgatos said. “Public consciousness gained insight. Without the public understanding (regarding) the gaps and unmet needs, there is less likelihood of addressing systemic disarray.” Mr Georgatos remains optimistic about his campaign to open up the State care system to more public scrutiny, but admits it needs more support from powerful figures to gain traction. “The Let Them Speak campaign is in its infancy but has begun,” he said. “The next steps must be backed by a multitude of voices across the nation, calling for every State and Territory to reform their laws and guarantee unfettered rights for those affected to speak to the media. “Everyone should be able to tell their story if they want to. I refuse to accept censorship by omission.”