Kobe and Esperanza
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.
Kobe is in his early 20s. He has cognitive impairment and a syndrome that causes frequent seizures.
Kobe’s parents separated nearly a decade ago, leaving Kobe with his mother, Esperanza. Every few months, he would spend a weekend in respite care.
‘I never really felt comfortable because I always feel that he is more comfortable and more safe with me. But for me to have that break, I needed to do that,’ Esperanza said.
One support worker, Jackie, was familiar with Kobe’s routine so Esperanza asked if she could be the one who was with him overnight.
One morning Jackie called Esperanza and told her Kobe was on his way to hospital. He’d had a seizure, fallen and hurt himself.
At the hospital Esperanza was shocked to find Kobe’s injuries much more serious than Jackie’s account had indicated. Medical staff agreed and called the police.
Eventually the matter ended up in court, and Jackie was found guilty of a crime.
It emerged that Jackie had a history of erratic behaviour, which the service provider had known about.
Esperanza feels badly let down by the provider’s failure to monitor Jackie and keep their clients safe.
Both she and Kobe have been diagnosed with PTSD because of what happened.
‘He is just not himself since,’ Esperanza said. ‘I think the centre has a lot to answer for.’
Esperanza is seeing a psychologist, trying to address the guilt she feels about ‘putting [Kobe] in that situation’.
Initially Kobe returned to the same centre. ‘I had no option,’ Esperanza said. But when Kobe finally got NDIS funding, he was able to have support workers look after him at home.
Esperanza is ‘very grateful’ for the NDIS, but said it can be hard to find support workers who understand Kobe’s needs.
‘Sometimes the training isn’t – they don’t get the right fit of people. It is very hard to get a really good support worker that has got a good heart, because it is not their child, it is not their loved ones,’ she said.
Esperanza told the Royal Commission she is concerned that abuse is happening ‘too much’.
‘I just feel I have got to share my story, because [Kobe] is vulnerable, and all these children and adults with disabilities, they can’t fight back. They have got to be kept safe.’
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.