Thank you Alan B... Good suggestions. And, yes, I hope someone in high authority sees this article, reads these comments, and decides to intervene into Karen's case. If you read my previous post from April 2016: 'Prisons of Silence: The Dark Side of the Australian Disability Support System' you will read that Karen was removed from her family home for abuse in 2010. She was being locked in a small room at night.

Karen was taken to a safe environment and given her own state housing flat. But the family were allowed to file a lawsuit 'on behalf of Karen' against DHS and the Public Advocate. They alleged Karen was removed into an environment where she was not given access to her keyboard (yes, the same thing the family is doing to her now).

Both DHS and the Public Advocate decided the case was too difficult for them to defend, given Karen's disabilities. So, through mediation, they gave 'Karen' $20,000 each. But it was put into a private bank account under the control of the adoptive mother. So, Karen lost out again due to an oversight by the agencies who should have protected her. During the time of the court case, she was moved back in with her family, without the Public Advocate's knowledge. No one came looking for her.

I know this sounds like madness - but savvy rorters and serial pests are working the system through their knowledge of loopholes. And if persons with disabilities are to be respected as human beings, these loopholes need to be closed.

Hear, and well said Dr T!

One can only hope someone in that "family" grows a conscience and a backbone before the authorities force one on them and with it some real jail time!

And where hardened criminals with families of their own might ensure it's very hard time indeed!

I can't think of lower life forms than sub humans, who rip off the profoundly vulnerable, save Nazi war criminals!

Good luck and best wishes Karen and I hope your unimaginably horrible situation is remedied soon!

And that might be as soon as the appropriate authorities get off their too tired/can't be bothered backsides and do what they ought the very first time! preferably before there's an avoidable tragedy!?
Alan B.

T
It's back to the start..
"She was never able to contact them again. She tried to find a new disability advocate, but her circumstances now are that the family controls the hiring of carers and has instructed them to not allow her to speak with anyone in public, schedule any meetings, or visit anyone without their knowledge and approval".
If she can't use her keyboard how do you know these details ?
And if someone is able to find her facts , are you saying that the Cwlth Human Services aren't interested in the cash fraud for $800,000?
Good story but there's a fish.....

The problem specified here is one! Removal of Karen's access to freedom of communication.
All other problems flow from that disempowerment!
This is the task; reinstating her freedom to communicate.

The question is, how to do?

There needs to be a court order. On the strength of the facts as outlined, an application by her through the police, for an apprehended violence order would succeed!

She could then approach a magistrate in a court, as a normal consequence of that application, and present her complaint. At that level of officialdom, the facts of the matter would be dealt with successfully.

The question is though; how to assist her to achieve those ends, since she is unable to write, (I assume), because of her disability.
Can she draw a "cross"... That wil be legally accepted for the initial application!

Diver, She's able to type! And via a talking keyboard, apparently confiscated by the family communicate and debate!? Nick wants to know how Karen's story is escaping their censorship!? And no doubt so does the controlling family? Her legal advocate needs to be brought to book over the seeming betrayal of trust and confidentiality! The editor of this site is a decent bloke, with useful connections, that hopefully, will get the right questions asked on the floor? And through that get this matter resolved and the nightmare for a completely helpless Karen ended!
Alan B.

Thank you Diver, Nick and Alan B for your comments. There are a number of Catch 22s here within the loopholes.

1. I have knowledge of the case during the past four years because Karen previously had a large group of classmates, friends and people in her community with whom she had regular conversations. I also live in the community, and so see them on a regular basis. They approached me to ask why she is no longer able to speak with them. I personally witnessed her being led away when they approached. They have also reached out to the family to schedule meetings with Karen and have been repeatedly turned down.

2. Karen missed a speaking engagement at a public forum shortly after her rights were taken away. The forum contacted me when she didn't show up. Her university classmates contacted me to ask why she was not allowed to participate in class discussions anymore. Her lawyers contacted me to ask what had happened to her, as they never heard from her again.

3. Without the ability to communicate and reach out, and without her own legal advocate, Karen is prohibited from acting on her own initiative. Imagine Stephen Hawking without his communication device and someone to travel with him. Although Karen is ambulatory, she cannot travel without assistance. And her family controls directions to all carers through control of the money.