Arabic version: تحقيق قضائي يفحص وفاة بودا سبنسر
According to The Guardian, a coronial inquest is examining the 11 May 2021 death of Indigenous 13-year-old Budda Spencer in Port Lincoln, South Australia. Budda and two friends entered an industrial skip bin at a local Repco autoparts store on a cold night, using cardboard boxes to keep warm. They had planned to stay awake but fell asleep.
At 5.15am, a rubbish truck arrived to empty the bin. The boys woke as it was hoisted and its contents were poured into the truck’s storage section. One boy got out before the lid closed and another stayed low. Budda tried to escape, was injured in the fall and was then crushed when the lid automatically closed. He was declared dead at 5.50am.
The inquest before deputy state coroner Naomi Kereru has heard that Budda had been known for years to South Australian police, the Department for Child Protection (DCP), agencies and community organisations. In March 2021, DCP assessed him as an adolescent at risk after he skipped school and spent nights on the streets. The department did not escalate his case because he was not considered to be in imminent danger and was assessed as having “inadequate supervision” rather than being abused or neglected.
Budda’s mother, Deborah Betts, was described as increasingly worried about him and struggling to keep him at home. A meeting involving police, Aboriginal family support services, youth support and government departments was held on 4 May to discuss his case, but DCP representatives did not attend. The inquest heard that the department was understaffed and overwhelmed, dealing first with the most urgent cases.
Betts last saw her son on 7 May. Police found Budda with his two friends on 9 May, but he ran away. The following day, an Aboriginal Family Support Services manager warned the boys about the risks of being out overnight and urged them to return home. They said they would make safe choices, but later chose the skip bin because they did not want to be found out overnight. Findings are expected by the end of the year.
