Shiloh and Keo
Content Warning: These stories are about violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation and may include references to suicide or self-harming behaviours. They may contain graphic descriptions and strong language and may be distressing. Some narratives may be about First Nations people who have passed away. If you need support, please see Contact & support.
Shiloh is a First Nations woman in her 30s living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), complex post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, borderline personality disorder and an eating disorder.
Shiloh’s son, Keo, also has ADHD.
Shiloh told the Royal Commission she grew up in a dysfunctional household where her mother, a ‘sexually perverted, dangerous woman’, let her drink alcohol and take drugs when she was young.
Shiloh said she later became involved in the adult film industry and abused drugs and alcohol.
‘I looked at addiction on every level from like, you know, going to the gym, binge eating … so I can tell any alcoholic why they drink alcohol, is because it's just too easy to access.’
Several years ago, Shiloh left her violent partner.
One day when she was visiting her ex-partner’s home, her son Keo drank from a bottle of dishwashing liquid thinking it was soft drink.
‘He was taken to the hospital and … they called child protection. So, child protection said that they wanted me to get an intervention order on [the ex-partner], which I did, as it was unsafe for [Keo] to be at the house.’
A few years ago, child protection services removed Keo from Shiloh’s care and sent him to live with Shiloh’s mother.
Shiloh said her mother’s partner sexually assaulted Keo.
‘My child got sexually abused whilst their intervention was taking place … Child protection do not accept that there was any sexual abuse … but how can child protection accept that when, you know, we've got my child demonstrating it via play and also under a six-month … assessment?’
Shiloh is worried that Keo’s abuse at his grandmother’s house is ‘affecting [his] mental health’.
Shiloh said she’s allowed to see Keo only four days a week, but ‘they haven't been occurring’.
‘I've been able to see my son through my mother … but basically … I've had to mend a relationship with an abuser just to have contact with my child.’
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.