CONTENT WARNING: This post discusses suicide and may be distressing for some readers.
The devastating news that a ten-year-old girl Aboriginal girl committed suicide in the Kimberley earlier this week has led to calls for an inquiry – and rightly so.
The young girl was believed to have been a victim of domestic violence, and was in informal foster care with her brother. She passed away on Sunday in the remote community of Looma, in Western Australia‘s Kimberley region.
The horrifying reality that such a young child could contemplate and succeed in committing suicide has obviously affected many Australians, and public outcry has led to the State Coroner Ros Fogliani releasing a statement saying she will hold an inquest into several suspected suicides in the Pilbara and Kimberley regions.
“It is not presently possible to confirm the number of deaths which will be listed for inquest or the timing of the hearing as coronial investigations are not yet complete and the state coroner is continuing to review suspected suicides in the region,” a statement read.
However, suicide prevention researcher Gerry Georgatos said to The Age that he was aware of 19 suicides in Indigenous communities since December. He also stated that suicide is the leading cause of death for indigenous people aged 15 to 35, and that three people have been buried in five days in the Goldfields recently.
Georgatos has called for a royal commission into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicides.
If this story has caused you distress, or you are experiencing suicidal thoughts and would like to speak to someone, you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 44, or chat online at lifeline.org.au.
Source: The Age.
Photo: Jeff Overs / Getty.
