A 17-year-old boy has died by suicide at Banksia Hill Youth Detention Centre in Western Australia, marking the second death of a child in custody in the state in less than a year. The incident occurred late last night, prompting an investigation and renewed debate over youth justice practices.
WA Corrective Services Commissioner Brad Royce stated that staff checked on the teenager 10 times during the evening. On the 11th check, just before 10pm, he was found unresponsive. Staff breached the cell, performed CPR with a nurse on site, and St John Ambulance arrived shortly after, but the boy could not be revived.
Premier Roger Cook acknowledged system failures but expressed confidence in ongoing reforms. He noted that the detainee population at Banksia Hill has dropped from over 150 to 57, with only four in Unit 18. However, WA Inspector of Custodial Services Eamon Ryan said that despite improvements, the system still requires significant reform.
Indigenous rights advocate Hannah McGlade called for the closure of Unit 18, citing dangerous conditions including rolling lockdowns and solitary confinement. The death follows that of 16-year-old Cleveland Dodd, the first recorded youth detention death in WA, whose coronial inquest is ongoing.
