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  • 2 years ago
WA's Corruption watchdog has found no serious misconduct occurred on the night Cleveland Dodd was found unconscious in his cell, at the notorious Unit 18 juvenile justice facility. The 16-year-old died a week after attempting self-harm in October last year, the tragedy prompting a flurry of investigations amid concerns his death could have been prevented. The Corruption and Crime Commission is the first to report on the teenager's death. And a warning, this story contains content some viewers may find distressing. It also discusses an incident of self-harm and includes the image of an indigenous person who has died.

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00:00He was the first child to die in WA's detention. Trapped in a cycle of destruction was how
00:08the corruption watchdog described the facility Cleveland Dodd spent his last conscious moments.
00:14His life was lost in vain. The commission found the failure to uncover
00:18Cleveland's cell CCTV camera is likely to have played a significant role in his death.
00:24The fact that the CCTV footage, the camera was covered up, meant that they were blind
00:30and they shouldn't have allowed themselves to remain in that position.
00:33The corruption looked at whether Unit 18 officers involved on the night he was found unresponsive
00:38had acted corruptly or committed an offence punishable by two years or more in jail.
00:44But it found no evidence that officers had engaged in conduct of that kind.
00:49It was satisfied that Cleveland's threats of self-harm on the night were not ignored
00:54and generally met with concern. And there was no evidence that any of the
00:58staff were derelict in their duty by watching TV or movies and not monitoring the detainees.
01:05The outcome was not one Cleveland's family had hoped for.
01:09They expected a lot. They expected damning findings. They expected the indicting of peoples
01:15and individuals. They expected culpability. They expected justice, which they feel today
01:22The Commission did find there had been a number of policy and procedure breaches, with some
01:28setting officers up to fail. The Corrective Services Minister offered
01:33little in response, while the Department of Justice said it would carefully consider the
01:38report. Commissioner John McKechnie considered it
01:41may not answer all questions raised by the tragic death, nor satisfy those looking for
01:47quick or simple solutions. For Cleveland's family, the wait for justice
01:51continues. Their hopes now resting on the upcoming second part of a coronial inquest
01:57into his death.
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