Mother's dismay as childcare staff released after death

The mother of an Indigenous teenager who fatally committed suicide in youth detention is “dismayed and disappointed” that custody staff have been cleared of any serious misconduct following her son's death, lawyers say.

Cleveland Dodd was found unconscious in the early hours of October 12, 2023 in his cell at Perth's Casuarina Prison, becoming the first juvenile to die in a Western Australian detention center.

The WA Corruption and Crime Commission has been tasked with investigating allegations of serious misconduct against correctional officers working when the teenager harmed himself.

He found there were numerous violations of Justice Department policies and procedures, but said there was no evidence that gross misconduct or corruption played a role in his death .

The Dodd family's attorneys, Levitt Robinson, said Cleveland's mother, Nadene Dodd, felt “dismayed and disappointed” by the commission's findings.

But she remains hopeful that “the inquest into Cleveland's tragic death will highlight the impatience, lack of empathy and lack of professionalism of Unit 18 staff.”

The 16-year-old made eight threats of self-harm, repeatedly sought medical attention and covered up his cell's CCTV camera in the hours before he was discovered and taken to hospital.

He died eight days later, leaving outrage and grief in the community.

Attorney Stewart Levitt said the commission recognized numerous failings by the Justice Department and custody staff, including denying the teen water and failing to discover his cellphone camera so it can be monitored visually.

Still, he praised serving officers for their empathy, he said Wednesday.

“This is the kind of report that is produced when the state investigates the state.”

Commissioner John McKechnie said the inquest was limited in scope and the coroner was best placed to focus on broader considerations relating to Cleveland's death and make recommendations.

“Its focused nature means this report may not answer all the questions raised by this young man's tragic death, nor satisfy those seeking quick or simple solutions,” he said during the filing of the report to the Washington State Legislature.

The coronial inquest into the death is expected to resume in July.

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