Carlton and Jessye
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.
‘I have a non-verbal son with autism who’s been placed somewhere. He doesn’t understand why he can’t be at home and why he can’t see his friends.’
Carlton is a young autistic man in his early 20s with mental health issues.
His mother Jessye told the Royal Commission than not long after he finished school, he was taken from her by the public guardian.
‘And put under basically their control. And I was told, as a parent, that I have no say.’
The guardian placed Carlton in a group home. Jessye said there’s been ‘fraud, neglect, abuse’ under the service provider.
‘My son has suffered horrific abuse and bruising, which I’ve documented.’
Carlton is on a complex needs care package.
‘When this company became involved, they were given a million dollars.’
But for months, Carlton ‘had no therapies’ and ‘they stopped all his programs, stopped outings’.
‘They just drained his disability pension money. It’s always in debt. There is no money for him to be able to even buy himself anything, or just to go to the movies,’ Jessye said.
‘The supports that I had in place for my son, like an education program, he had his own therapists and stuff, that has all been taken away from him. All my people have all been sacked and they’ve just put in all these new people … They basically are frauding the system. It’s just fleecing it. And they know they’re protected by the guardian.’
Jessye has been fighting for more than a year to have the guardianship order overturned.
‘Of course, I’ve tried everything. Every time I complain to the NDIS, the guardian shuts it down, saying there’s no issues.’
She recently appealed the guardianship at a tribunal but was unsuccessful. The hearing ignored evidence of ‘photos of locks on doors and restrictive practices being used’ at the home.
‘I supplied a five-page document … and photos of what’s happened to my son and all the rest. And the member said, “We don’t have to look at evidence in this court. The guardian had said that he’s very happy with where they’ve placed your son.”’
Since then, Jessye ‘is not allowed to step foot in the property.
‘I’ve had all those rights taken away.’
Many parents have been ‘banned access to properties’ after they tried to get evidence of the abuse.
‘The care company have come back to the guardian and said that the parents were abusing the staff and basically put bullying charges onto us as parents … And therefore, the guardian believes them and are not involving parents or therapists or people that are advocating for my son.’
Jessye said the exploitation of Carlton under the public guardian is one of hundreds of ‘horror stories’.
‘Some of the stories are more horrific than mine. I need to get rid of the guardianship board and take control back.’
When Carlton comes home for weekends, he begs not to go back.
‘Staff come to get him and he screams on the lawn. He rolls around and runs away from them – “No. No. No.” I’ve sent videos to the guardian saying, “This is wrong. You’re forcing something on my son.” And I don’t even get an answer back.’
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.