Arabic version: تقرير أمين المظالم يكشف عن إخفاقات وزارة الصحة تجاه الأخوين المعاقين

A recent report from the Queensland Ombudsman has unveiled serious failures by health department staff that led to the suffering of two disabled brothers, Kaleb and Jonathon. The brothers were discovered in May 2020, unclothed and suffering from severe malnutrition, in a squalid room near their deceased father. This tragic incident has prompted a detailed examination of over 20 years of interactions between state health staff and the boys.

According to SBS News, the report outlines how Queensland Health staff had ongoing concerns about the boys’ safety and wellbeing from birth, yet failed to take adequate action. Kaleb and Jonathon, born in 2000 and 2003 respectively, were known to have significant developmental delays and intellectual disabilities, which limited their ability to communicate verbally.

The report highlighted multiple missed opportunities for intervention by authorities, including a lack of follow-up on previous child protection reports made to the Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety. It made 13 recommendations aimed at improving staff training and information management systems to better identify and respond to child protection issues.

The case was also reviewed during the disability royal commission in 2023, which investigated the violence, abuse, and neglect faced by the boys. In September 2023, the Queensland government issued a formal apology acknowledging the omissions in preventing harm that contributed to the boys’ suffering. This ombudsman report marks the third investigation into the multi-departmental shortcomings regarding the safety and wellbeing of Kaleb and Jonathon, with previous reports criticizing the roles of the Department of Education and the Department of Housing and Public Works.