The Forgotten
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Roseanne, like many other Indigenous children in remote Central Australia, was born with foetal alcohol-related brain damage. She grew up beyond the effective reach of the state welfare services overlapping her homeland. Her behaviour, the result of years of neglect and abuse, inevitably brought her into contact with the criminal justice system. Found unfit to plead, and unconvicted of any offences, she waited in prison until the time came when proper disability care could be provided.' Ian McKinlay, Roseanne Fulton’s legal guardian
I speak in support of the release of Roseanne Fulton from prison in Western Australia. She is in prison without conviction. Roseanne was found unfit to plead by a court. This is as a result of a mental impairment that Roseanne has had since birth as a result of foetal alcohol syndrome. Foetal alcohol syndrome can occur as a result of high levels of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. I have heard a lot of bureaucratic jargon in my time, but to describe someone in prison, against their will, without any conviction as “currently in care” is unbelievable. Prison is seen as the solution to health and social issues. They’ve simply put all these issues into the too hard basket, and then thrown the basket into jail. Rosanne’s advocates have not forgotten her. Let’s free Roseanne Fulton.
Senator Nova Peris OAM
Kiga, Yawuru and Murran People
Senator for the Northern Territory
Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is Australia’s foremost human rights issue, albeit an invisible one. It weights heavily on families, communities and support services. The entire nation is seeing an increasing number of children and young people being placed in out-of-home care, students falling through the gaps in education, individuals suffering mental health problems, as well as people with disabilities being incarcerated in detention centres and jails. Incarceration of individuals with disabilities inflicted before birth only serves to continue the denial of their human rights across their life course. In Australia we do not apply strict legislation to alcohol as we do to the tobacco industry even trying to raise awareness of the alcohol usage during pregnancy needs strict laws. Still the alcohol manufacturers have to bear the responsibility for causing lifelong brain-based damage. That damage has eclipsed that of the notorious drug Thalidomide. In Australia the rights of the child are secondary to adult politics, and it has to stop.
Dr Jan Hammill
Gomeroi People
Coordinator, Collaboration for Alcohol Related Disorders, University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research
