In a heartbreaking incident, a teenage girl known as XY took her own life at a residential care facility in Victoria, Australia. At just 17 years old, XY had repeatedly expressed her desire to reconnect with her Aboriginal heritage and community, but her pleas were ignored by the child protection system.
XY’s tragic death has highlighted significant systemic failures. Despite writing letters and voicing her wishes to connect with her culture and family, she faced a lack of support and cultural sensitivity from the authorities. The Victorian coroner’s investigation found that the system not only failed to consider XY’s wishes but also breached her human rights.
In response to this tragedy, the coroner recommended increasing cultural safety and connection for First Nations children in the out-of-home care system. These recommendations aim to address the systemic racism and paternalism that contributed to XY’s untimely death.
The Department of Families, Fairness, and Housing (DFFH) in Victoria has stated they will consider the coroner’s recommendations and work towards making necessary changes to the child protection system to prevent such tragedies in the future.
