WA'S ABORIGINAL CHILD REMOVALS CRISIS: FAMILIES TORN APART

BY ASAD KHAN

Western Australia has the highest rate of Aboriginal child removals in the country, with children more than 20 times more likely to be placed in out-of-home care than non-Indigenous children, according to a new Human Rights Watch report.

The report calls for urgent reforms, including increased support services, improved legal representation for families, and the establishment of a state commissioner for Aboriginal children.

Instead of addressing underlying issues such as domestic violence and housing instability, authorities are often quick to remove children, the report states. Many parents fear seeking help due to the risk of losing their children.

The Human Rights Watch report found Indigenous mothers who were victims of domestic violence were so fearful of losing their children they refused to seek help from authorities. (Supplied: Human Rights Watch)

Human Rights Watch researcher Annabel Hennessy told Ngaarda Media that the impact of these removals continues to cause significant trauma for Aboriginal families.

"Successive governments have failed to respond to the Stolen Generations,"

"One of the most heartbreaking aspects of this report is that many of the people we interviewed are descendants of the Stolen Generations. We spoke to one grandmother who told us her family had experienced six generations of child removals,

“Her grandchildren were recently taken from her care, and she was also facing eviction from her private rental property into unstable housing."

The report urges the WA government to prioritise family support and implement culturally appropriate policies to prevent further harm to Aboriginal communities.

Listen to Ngaarda Media’s Asad Khan speak with Annabel Hennessy: