Blane
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Blane is in his 40s. He is autistic and the father of an autistic teenager. About 10 years ago his partner died.
‘[My partner] at this stage did have custody of [my daughter] and she was living with her boyfriend at the time.’
Blane told the Royal Commission that the child protection department took his daughter into care. When Blane applied for custody, a child protection officer said he couldn’t care for his daughter because he’s autistic.
‘It is stated right here. “[Blane] is limited in his ability to understand [her] needs and development due to his Asperger’s disability.” … [But] Albert Einstein had autism. Bill Gates has autism. Half the scientists in NASA have autism.’
Child protection also claimed his daughter would be ‘at risk’ in his care, even though he has no criminal history and had never been violent or used illegal drugs.
‘They painted me as being incapable of looking after myself, to look after [my daughter] … They have asserted this specifically on the basis that I have a disability.’
Child protection then placed his daughter with a foster family in which a family member ‘tried to sexually assault’ her.
Blane says the child protection system has ‘an ingrained prejudice’ against people with disability.
‘I’ve noticed unfortunately that the older generations, the ones that have been in the … system and basically all the ones making decisions, they seem to have a very much more prejudiced view of all different kinds of people.’
Blane now has a partner, having married a few years ago. Child protection still only allows him access to his daughter for one supervised hour every few weeks.
‘[It] is utterly ridiculous. It makes no sense,’ he said.
‘I am fully of the belief that because I have autism myself [I am better] able to understand and teach [my daughter] … One of the main things I found with my disability is that we need to focus on some form of direction … If she gets to that she will succeed in whatever she chooses to do. I guarantee it.’
Blane said he doesn’t want to remove his daughter from her latest foster family because they have ‘been with her for so long and have established a very good relationship with her’.
‘All we wish is to have more contact.’
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.