Five Indigenous girls between the ages of 12 and 15 were among eight young Aboriginal Australians to take their lives in 2019. This year is anticipated to be the worst yet for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth suicide.

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The recent spate of Aboriginal suicides has been strongly linked to extreme poverty. Those living in poverty in Australia often lack appropriate health and well-being services, employment options, and education opportunities. Global Citizen campaigns on the Sustainable Development Goals, including Goal 1: No Poverty and Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being. Take action here

Eight Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have taken their lives in the first six weeks of 2019 in independent cases across Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia.

The suicides come as Western Australia received the coroner’s findings Thursday from one of the state's biggest inquests into Indigenous youth suicides in the Kimberley region from 2012 to 2016. The results cited inter-generational trauma and “crushing poverty” as significant contributors to the deaths.

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"Poverty in the Kimberley is the major driver of suicidal ideation, of distorted thinking, of unhappiness, of watching the world pass one by right from the beginning of life,” Gerry Georgatos, national coordinator of the National Indigenous Critical Response Service, told NITV News. “One-eighth of First Nations people living in the Kimberley live in some form of homelessness, and 60% live below the poverty line.”

The findings further revealed those who had died by suicide often witnessed alcohol abuse and domestic violence. The majority of children also had little access to mental health services.

Findings from the WA inquest into Indigenous youth suicide have been handed down, and @GerryGeorgatos says those living below the poverty line are most at risk. https://t.co/VlnMEYtqEU — The Wire (@thewireradio) February 7, 2019

Indigenous Australians represent just 2.8% of Australia's population. Despite this, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children between the ages of five and 17 die by suicide at five times the rate of non-Indigenous children.

Coroner Ros Fogliani blamed the overall Aboriginal suicide rate, which has doubled in five years, on failing government-funded services.



"The considerable services already being provided to the region are not enough," she told SBS. "It may be time to consider whether the services themselves need to be co-designed in a completely different way."

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Western Australia Health Minister Roger Cook announced the government would take into consideration the coroner’s 42 inquest recommendations, which include restrictions on takeaway alcohol, broad education campaigns, and the development of cultural healing projects.



"We are determined as a government to understand and respond to these tragic circumstances," Cook told reporters.

If you want to talk to someone or are experiencing suicidal thoughts, text the Lifeline Text Line at 0477 13 11 14 or call Lifeline at 12 11 13. You can find international resources here.