Western Australia's coroner has described a spate of suicides among young Aboriginal people as "profoundly tragic, individually and collectively." The deaths in the Kimberley region, north of Perth, included a 10-year-old girl.
There are calls for rapid action on recommendations from an inquest into the deaths of 13 Indigenous youths in Western Australia. The state coroner has handed down 42 recommendations in her report, including better screening for foetal alcohol syndrome and expanded mental health services.
A spate of suicides across the Kimberley region in WA's far north was described as a dire situation, resulting in preventable deaths.
Coroner Ros Fogliani concluded the deaths of 12 young Aboriginal people in under four years were suicide. She returned an open finding in a 13th death. The death of a 10-year-old girl in March 2016 prompted the coronial investigation.
Coroner Fogliani said "The tragic individual events were shaped by the crushing effects of intergenerational trauma and poverty upon entire communities."
