15-year-old girl dies in Brisbane after suspected overdose
In Brisbane, Australia, a 15-year-old girl died after a suspected drug overdose at a residential care facility. She was in the care of the Queensland state government, ABC News reports.
Investigation into the circumstances of the death
A spokesperson for Acting Minister for Child Safety Ann Leahy said she was saddened by the death of a child in a care facility. The minister instructed the relevant department to conduct a full investigation into the circumstances of the death.
Queensland's Department of Child Safety said legislation does not allow it to comment on individual cases. At the same time, it said that after the death of a child or young person in care, the agency conducts a comprehensive case review through a specialised internal system and practice review team.
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Calls for accountability
Debbie Kilroy, chief executive of the human rights organisation Sisters Inside, described the girl's death as devastating news and called for transparency and accountability. According to her, crises involving children in state care should not be viewed as isolated tragedies, and safe care must include not only housing, supervision and control measures, but also an environment where children are heard, supported and kept safe.
An anonymous youth worker also called for the circumstances of the death to be reviewed. According to the worker, all decisions leading up to it should be carefully examined, including the reasons why the child entered care.
Further procedure
According to the department, the findings of the internal review will be considered by the independent Queensland Child Death Review Board and provided to the state coroner in accordance with legislative requirements. The girl's death occurred about a year after ABC reported the death of a 15-year-old Indigenous boy who took his own life in a residential care facility in Ipswich.
