Inter-departmental report into the death of Zhane Chilcott reveals more failures
When Zhane Chilcott was five he was asked to whom he went when he was sick or sad. He replied “no one”. Zhane’s life ended in tragedy – destroyed by SA’s child welfare system.
SA News
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When Zhane Chilcott was almost five years old, he was asked by a psychologist to say who was special to him, who he went to when he was sick or sad.
The little boy, who by that point had been in state care for more than four years, replied: “No one.”
By that time, authorties believe Zhane had already been subject to neglect at the hands of his biological family, who had left him alone in the family home with other siblings.
He was living with a foster family, who would later face allegations and criminal charges of physical and sexual abuse towards Zhane.
He had entered a system at eight months old which was already bending under the strain of the work, experiencing a high level of staff turnovers and being criticised for being too centred on professionals, rather than children and families.
On July 12, 2016, while in state care, the 13-year-old took his own life.
An interdepartmental report has laid bare the sad life of a boy caught in the wheels of an ever-churning system of child welfare.
The report outlined new details of Zhane’s life and missed opportunities, including:
SIX more complaints of abuse towards Zhane while in commercial care from professional carers.
AN INITIAL report of his alleged sexual abuse at the hands of his foster brother not being forwarded to police
COMMUNICATION breakdowns in the month before his death that led to Zhane having no mental health assistance
Early life
Zhane was removed from his biological mother at eight months old, along with several other siblings.
The first report about Zhane’s welfare was made five months earlier in September 2003, when he was only three months old.
Police attended his home and found Zhane and his siblings alone and both the “children and home environment appeared neglected”.
The department investigated and did not confirm abuse or neglect.
The children were removed after another five reports of neglect.
The report noted that the first neglect report should have been confirmed, given the police report, and recommended departmental investigative staff improve their understanding of child protection.
Various attempts were made to reunite Zhane with his father, but the report stated that Keith Chilcott-Singpoo asked that the younger children remain in care until they were “a bit older”.
In March 2005, Zhane was placed with an Aboriginal Family Support Service foster family in Evanston Gardens.
Over the years, he made regular complaints of violence and Zhane would later tell another foster carer that over six years with what he called the “feral family”, he suffered horrendous abuse.
These included the foster mother laughing at Zhane after he had been sexually abused by her biological son – saying “you’re gay, you little c---”.
She allegedly kept him home from school because he had bruises from where she had hit him with a spatula. He was left alone in his room to defecate and refused meals.
She made him swallow his own vomit or face being smacked.
The foster carer, who was overweight, ordered Zhane to wipe her bottom and threatened to “stab him to death” if he ever told anyone about it.
The abuse at home translated into Zhane’s behaviour at school, which became increasingly disruptive and ended with him being excluded.
In September 2010, a complaint was raised that Zhane had been punched and kicked as a form of punishment and forced to drink water with pepper dissolved in it.
A month later, recommendations were made to help stabilise Zhane, but over 16 months he had four different case workers and nothing changed.
Removal
In June 2011, Zhane’s placement officially ended after the foster mother refused to allow police checks of other people living in the house.
In December of that year, Zhane first said he had been sexually abused in care.
He was watching a morning news program with a carer when a story about a paedophile came on the screen.
Zhane said: “That happened to me, will he get in trouble?”
The carer described the exchange as an “unguarded moment” before Zhane stopped talking and left.
The incident was noted but never investigated by Families SA or passed on to police.
Zhane revealed the abuse slowly over the years and in May 2015, the foster mother was arrested and charged with unlawful detention and numerous counts of aggravated assault and indecent assault.
She was scheduled to stand trial in August 2016, but just over a fortnight after Zhane took his own life, the case was called on and prosecutors confirmed they would not be pursuing the charges.
The report showed that while with Baptist Care in 2012, there were four referrals about alleged abuse towards Zhane, including being slapped by a carer, sexually abused by another and alcohol smelt on the breath of a third.
One incident, where a carer physically and emotionally abused Zhane, ended with the carer being fired.
Zhane was placed with professional carer Stephen Rimes but after more than a year in his care, he was removed after a financial disagreement with Life Without Barriers and the department.
Residential Care
Zhane returned to residential care, where two more reports were made about abuse in care.
These included a carer throwing food at Zhane, breaking his property and acting aggressively towards him.
That carer had his contract terminated.
A second carer resigned after reports were made of sexually explicit language used towards Zhane and another resident.
In April 2016, Zhane was moved into a residential care facility in Morphett Vale from a placement in Port Pirie.
The report concluded there was “no sense of urgency” in transferring Zhane’s case file, leading to him going months without assistance from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.
The transfer of the case file was only completed three days before Zhane’s death and nothing had been done to provide mental health support.
On July 12, 2016, Zhane was distressed because he was not able to contact his mother.
He was physically restrained by staff until he calmed down. Hours later, he had killed himself in his room.
“Control-based practices, including child restraints, can often re-traumatise young people and will be ineffective,” the report concluded.
“The most salient contributor to Zhane’s death was his abuse in the care of his foster carer between two and eight.
“The experience was exacerbated by the slowness of the system to recognise the level of his abuse … and the lack of continuity in his therapeutic and other relationships.”
The inquest continues.
KIDS helpline: 1800 55 1800
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