Kali and Ivy
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.
‘All I wanted for my daughter [was] to be safe and happy but what happened to her will haunt me for the rest of my life.’
Kali, who had autism and epilepsy, died a few weeks before her twenty-first birthday, alone in a bathtub.
Ivy, her mother, had cared for Kali throughout her childhood and teenage years. But as Kali got older Ivy found it harder to protect her. ‘With the autism it was hard, really hard,’ she told the Royal Commission. Sometimes Kali would have seizures and hurt herself and she could be violent with her siblings. After Kali lit a fire in her bedroom, Ivy asked for help for the first time.
Encouraged by a residential care home that ‘promised all the good things’, Ivy hoped living out of home would also give Kali ‘more social exposure … enhance her development and [assist her] build relationships with other like-minded young people living with disability’.
But, Ivy said, the promises of the care home were empty. On one of her visits, not long after Kali moved to the home, she arrived to find Kali unclean, with dirty hair, and about to be taken along to somebody else’s medical appointment because it was convenient for the staff.
Ivy took Kali home and later met with a support coordinator, a supervisor and manager to discuss ‘what needed to happen’ before Kali would return to the care home. They promised they would make changes and only regular staff Kali was familiar with would work with her.
Kali returned to the care home. Less than a month later, she was dead.
Kali ‘was found with her nose and mouth covered by water … slumped in the bath’. She had an epileptic fit while unattended. An investigation found ‘no resuscitation attempts were made’.
‘My daughter was left to die alone in the bathroom when they knew about her condition. They only needed to check on her every 5 minutes to make sure she's ok but they didn't.’
Ivy said she ‘will not rest’ until she sees those responsible go to prison. She believes this needs to happen to send a message to every person and organisation who mistreats people with disabilities.
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.