The family of an Indigenous teenager who died by suicide while living in out-of-home care feel left in the dark about her death, the Northern Territory coroner has heard.
WARNING: This story contains an image some readers may find distressing.
Kulum, 17, is one of two Indigenous teenagers whose deaths last year while in the care of the NT's Department of Territory Families, Housing and Communities have triggered mandatory coronial inquests.
Kulum died in October last year in Katherine, where she was living in a residential care program run by CASPA Services Ltd.
At a directions hearing in the Darwin Local Court on Monday, a lawyer representing the family told the court they remained "in the dark" about what had happened three months after Kulum's death.
Solicitor Spencer Womersley said the family was requesting access to the brief of evidence gathered for the office of NT coroner Elisabeth Armitage.
"It will give the family a better idea of the circumstances around what happened and doing that sooner rather than later would be in the family's wishes," Mr Womersley said.
Judge Armitage said investigators were yet to file the brief with her office — after which it would be provided to the parties — but suggested Mr Womersley speak with NT Police.
She said it was "certainly not an intention" for general information about the circumstances of the death to be withheld.
"I do think it would be of assistance if the family could arrange to speak to the [officer in charge] so that some clarity can be given about what is known," Judge Armitage said.
Coronial inquests to probe separate deaths in care
A separate inquest will probe the circumstances around the death of 15-year-old Kailab Moir, who was also in state care and living in a CASPA residential home when he died.
He was one of five young people – aged between nine and 15-years-old – travelling in a four-wheel-drive along the Stuart Highway when it crashed near the turn-off to Manton Dam.
At the time, police said the other young passengers suffered non-life threatening injuries and that officers were investigating possible links between the crash and an earlier alleged robbery.
Mr Moir was well-known in the Top End's music industry by his stage name "Palmo Stingah".
His grandmother, Judy Wright, attended the directions hearing and addressed Judge Armitage directly.
"I have a number of issues and incidences that have been raised after Kailab's passing that are quite significant," Ms Wright told the court.
"We never received his full possessions … [and] he was moved within CASPA five times within an 8-12 month period."
Ms Wright also alleged there had been a possible assault against her grandson at a CASPA home.
She told the coroner the service had indicated to her at the time of his death that board members wanted to speak to her about "how things could be undertaken better."
"I had raised numerous concerns within CASPA and Territory Families … about the lack of understanding of their workers," Ms Wright said.
Judge Armitage thanked Ms Wright and said her statements to the directions hearing were appreciated.
"A very significant part of our directions hearing process is [hearing from] the family members, to identify issues of concern at an early stage so that we can do our best to investigate and respond to those issues," Ms Armitage said.
The coroner told the court inquest directions hearings were "a new process" implemented by her office "to identify any issues and progress [investigations] in a timely manner", after an inquest into a death-in-custody last year was aborted at the last minute.
Judge Armitage asked investigating police to obtain any youth court files, care and protection history, school and medical records, as well as NDIS files that might be relevant to each of the children.
The brief of evidence related to both deaths must be filed by the end of March.
Dates for the inquests have not yet been set.
