Teenager dies after suspected overdose in Qld state care

A 15-year-old girl has tragically passed away due to a suspected drug overdose while residing in a residential care facility under the care of the Queensland government. This devastating news follows closely behind the loss of a 15-year-old Indigenous boy who took his own life in a similar care setting just a year prior. The Acting Minister for Child Safety, Ann Leahy, expressed profound sorrow over the incident, emphasizing that the loss of any child is an absolute tragedy. She has requested an extensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the girl's death.

Sisters Inside, a prominent advocacy group, voiced their devastation at the news, calling for transparency and accountability. They stressed the need to broaden the perspective on the crisis faced by children in care, questioning the adequacy of the state's commitment to safeguarding their welfare. The group highlighted that children placed in residential care homes are among the most vulnerable members of society and urged for environments where they are genuinely safe, heard, supported, and connected.

A concerned youth worker, who wished to remain anonymous due to concerns over their employment, called for a thorough review of the circumstances leading to the girl's death. They stressed that the fundamental responsibility of residential care should be to ensure the physical safety of children. The worker argued that all decisions leading up to the fatal event must be scrutinized, including the reasons why the child was placed in care.

The Department of Child Safety issued a statement acknowledging the tragedy, stating that legislation prevents them from commenting on individual cases. They assured that the death of any child or young person in care is treated as a tragedy and undergoes a comprehensive review process conducted by a specialist internal systems and practice review team.

The findings of this review are then considered by the independent Queensland Child Death Review Board and reported to the Queensland Coroner, as per legislative requirements.