2001:
A typical cluster of violence types in such a dysfunctional community would be, male-on-male and female-on-female fighting, child abuse, alcohol violence, male suicide, pack rape, infant rape, rape of grandmothers, self mutilation, spouse assaults and homicide ...2017:
Memmott et al., 2001, Violence in Indigenous Communities, p. 51
The remote community of Kowanyama has issued a desperate cry for help following a horrifying run of youth suicides.Update (June 28): Similar situation in the Kimberley region of West Australia.
A senior frontline staffer in the town has told how the community has descended into a deep sense of despair since the public tragedy in October when a car rammed into a house full of mourners, resulting in a 48-year-old woman being killed and 25 others injured.
The staffer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said there had been more than 20 suicides or attempts in Kowanyama, which has a population of about 1200, since the shocking event in October
- The Cairns Post, June 24, 2017
In what will be one of the largest inquests in Australia in recent years, coroner Ros Fogliani will examine the suicides of 13 young Aboriginal people in the Kimberley region.
In his opening address, counsel assisting the coroner Philip Urquhart said five of the deaths involved children aged between 10 and 13.
They had all been exposed to alcohol abuse and domestic violence in the home, had poor school attendance and most had not sought help from mental health services.
There was evidence six of those who died had been sexually abused...
Over the next three months, the coroner will travel to Broome, Kununurra, Halls Creek and Fitzroy Crossing to hear evidence about what drove the young people to take their lives and what could have been done to prevent their actions.
She will also examine whether recommendations from a similar inquest 10 years ago had any impact.
- Indigenous suicide inquest told rate of deaths in WA's north has 'reached disturbing proportions'
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