Laura-Jane and Katerina
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.
Laura-Jane is in her 30s and has an acquired brain injury.
‘My daughter was seriously injured … in a car accident and received compensation,’ Katerina told the Royal Commission.
Because Laura-Jane was a child at the time, the money went to the public trustee to pay for support services and accommodation. Katerina said Laura-Jane eventually bought a house with the money.
‘I did have carers come in, but then my marriage ended and I said I would take over the care, but [the trustee] just abused that because they wouldn't pay for any extra care to come in.’
Katerina said she didn’t apply for guardianship.
‘Looking back, you know, I should have done that. But because she lived with me and I was her carer and her mum … nobody ever said to me that that's what you need to do.’
The public guardian was appointed to oversee Laura-Jane’s affairs.
Several years ago, Laura-Jane was assaulted in her neighbourhood. Because she and Katerina no longer felt safe, the trustee agreed to sell the house so they could move.
‘They told me when the house sold … to go find something else to purchase, which I did. Now they told me that I could only spend what the other property had sold for.’
Katerina found a suitable property, but because it was a few thousand dollars more than the previous house sold for, the trustee ‘didn’t follow through on the purchase’.
‘They sold her property and did not purchase another one and left [Laura-Jane] and I homeless.’
Under pressure, Katerina asked a relative to take Laura-Jane ‘for a few days’.
Laura-Jane never came home. The relative persuaded the trustee to let Laura-Jane buy another house, and moved into the new house with her.
‘I'm going to try not to get emotional, but I feel like I've been living a nightmare for many years.’
Katerina said she hadn’t seen Laura-Jane for several years until the relative recently invited her to visit.
‘She's been neglected with what I've seen … Her hair was sticking to her head it was that dirty … She's not allowed to come down out of her bedroom until [others] are fed … She has to watch TV in her room on her own.’
After a few months, the relative stopped Katerina visiting. When Katerina contacted the public guardian, they told her Laura-Jane didn’t want to see her anymore.
‘I've never ever believed that to be true because [Laura-Jane] and I have always been so close … [She’s] too scared to speak up in front of [the relative],’ Katerina told the Royal Commission. ‘Every time I went there she said, “Mum I've missed you so much. Where have you been? I want to spend more time with you.” And she's struggling and I seriously do not know what to do anymore.’
Katerina said she’s applying for a review of the guardianship.
‘I have watched [Laura-Jane] struggle all her life with her disabilities. And for her to have to endure something like this on top of what she has to deal with, it’s extremely unfair.’
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.