Disability Minister Jinson Charls claims no ‘responsibility’ to make Kumanjayi White death inquiries
The Territory’s disability minister has claimed it was not his ‘responsibility’ to ask questions into a death in custody case.
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The Territory’s disability minister has claimed it was not his “responsibility” to ask questions after a vulnerable young man under a guardianship order died in police custody.
Disability Minister Jinson Charls has been questioned over his silence following the death in custody of 24-year-old Kumanjayi White, a Warlpiri man with complex disabilities who died 70 minutes after being forced to the ground at the Alice Springs Coles two weeks ago.
At the time of his death, Kumanjayi White was on a NDIS plan, living in 24/7 supported care and under a public guardianship order, due to his treatment resistant schizophrenia and “executive dysfunction frontal lobe impairment” impacting his memory and impulse control
The NT News exclusively reported that the young man had a history of being “under medicated and under treated” while in the care of a major disability service Life Without Barriers prior to his death.
In the wake of his death the First Peoples Disability Network and the National Disability Discrimination Commissioner Rosemary Kayess called for the urgent implementation of the Disability Royal Commission’s recommendations for First Nations people with disability, particularly in relation to disability awareness and de-escalation training for police.
“There has been a lack of concerted implementation of these recommendations,” Ms Kayess said.
“This means we are very likely doomed to continually repeat these failures and this is not acceptable.”
On Thursday — 17 days after Kumanjayi White’s death — Mr Charls was asked in Estimates why he had failed to make any statement following the man’s death.
“It’s a very unfortunate incident that happened in the community, “ he said.
Mr Charls said he was trying to be conscious of the ongoing police investigation, and had not made any internal inquires about the treatment of the young man under the public guardian’s care.
The Disability Minister revealed that he had not received a formal brief, including from the NDIS providers themselves.
“No one has informed me ‘this is what has actually occurred’,” Mr Charls said.
When asked why he had not made a public statement following the death of a man with complex disabilities, Ms Charls asked: “how is this question related to my opening statement?”
The Disabilities Minister said it was not his responsibility to make inquiries about the vulnerable man’s care, as the NDIS was a national body.
“This is an NDIS service and we don’t fund … we provide one third of the contribution to the NDIS to fund the service,” he said.
“So there is not our direct responsibility as Minister of Disability to any organisation operating in the Territory.”
“I will be responsible for disability services and the governance when it comes to the policy directions, and I will be working along my Federal and other state and territory ministers along with the NDIS.”
“But when it comes to the other matters, I won’t make any further comment.”
However, the NDIS website states that if concerns are raised about people “accessing immediate and vital supports”, it was up to the National Disability Insurance Agency and state and territory governments to “ work together to resolve any issues on a case-by-case basis”.
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