Risks Ignored Cost Vulnerable Lives
Content warning: This page contains confronting material, including child and adult deaths, drownings, elopements, mental wellbeing deterioration, family violence, carer collapse, and coronial matters.
Australia’s Hidden Harm Register
This page documents the systemic failures affecting profoundly autistic Australians, because when risk is not recognised early and sustained across the full disability life course, harm follows. It records coronial matters, drownings, deaths involving carers and family members, and other preventable harms affecting profoundly autistic people, many of whom disappear twice: first inside generic policy that fails to recognise their vulnerability, communication barriers, dependence, and need for constant safeguarding, and then again inside public reporting that reduces what happened to “a drowning”, “a missing child”, or “a family tragedy” without naming the profound autism, non-speaking status, high support needs, or extreme risk involved. That omission obscures the truth, hides the pattern, weakens the public record, and makes preventable deaths easier to dismiss as isolated events rather than warnings.
Invisible No More
Documenting coronial matters, drownings, deaths involving carers and family members, and other preventable harms affecting profoundly autistic people.
The Hidden Harm Register exists to document the lives, deaths, and serious harms that too often remain invisible in public conversation, policy, and reform. It brings together publicly reported cases, coronial matters, drownings, deaths involving carers or family members, absconding incidents, and other safeguarding failures affecting profoundly autistic people and those who care for them.
This page is confronting because the reality is confronting. These are not isolated tragedies with nothing to teach us. They are warnings. They show what happens when severe and profound autism is not recognised properly, when risk is not triaged early, when constant supervision is treated as ordinary parenting, when family systems are pushed beyond safe limits, and when support arrives only after irreversible harm.
National Profound Autism Memorial
The autistic children and young adults remembered here are real people. They were loved. They were needed. Their lives mattered.
They will be honoured through the National Profound Autism Memorial, so they are not buried inside statistics, reduced to headlines, or erased by policy language that never truly recognised their vulnerability. Too often, the question asked in systems and proceedings is whether there was too much therapy, too much support, or too little time alone. Yet the warning running through these cases is far more confronting: the danger has too often come from missed risk, inadequate support, weak safeguarding, and recognition that arrived too late. The memorial exists because remembrance matters, and because a country that fails to name its profoundly autistic dead will keep failing the living.
If you know someone who should be named here or is next of kin and wishes to make contact, please email the CEO@profoundautismnetwork.org
National Children's Profound Autism Memorial
Aluel Ajak
Aluel Ajak, 9 years old
A non-verbal autistic girl climbed out of her bedroom window at night and ran onto busy Sayers Road, where she was fatally struck by a vehicle.
There is a light, don’t let it go out
Alex Raichman
Alex Raichman, 11 years old
A non-verbal autistic child absconded from respite care due to their failure to lock windows and was fatally struck by a train. The coroner reportedly found the death completely preventable had safety measures been in place.
There is a light, don’t let it go out
Kieran Le Couteur
Kieran Le Couteur, 6 years old
A 6-year-old autistic boy wearing only a nappy and bare feet wandered from home and was struck and killed by a train. Several people reportedly saw him on the Princes Highway but did not intervene.
There is a light, don’t let it go out
Felix Hua
Felix Hua, 14 years old
An autistic teenager with a strong attraction to water who could not swim drowned in the Yarra River after being left unattended by an untrained support worker.
There is a light, don’t let it go out
ABC News Carer for autistic teen who died after wondering off, had no formal training
Riley Christopher Shortland
Riley Christopher Shortland, 8 years old
Died on 5 November 2017 after escaping from respite care arranged through SNAP Programs and being struck by a truck on the M1 Pacific Motorway near Cameron Park, NSW. An NSW coronial inquest highlighted systemic failures in information-sharing and risk management.
There is a light, don’t let it go out
Jackson Kelty
Jackson Kelty, 15 years old,
Jackson, who was autistic, drowned with his 27-year-old state-appointed carer, Brendon Dermody, off Clifton Beach during an excursion that also involved another autistic teenager. The inquest highlighted challenges in managing two autistic young people together, inadequate carer training in risk assessment and venue safety, and insufficient staffing/support from the Department of Child and Family Services.
There is a light, don’t let it go out
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-10-26/carers-took-beach-trips-to-tire-out-clients/2312336
Connor Elliot Graham
Connor Elliott Graham, 4 years old
Drowned after going missing from an extended family member’s home while on vacation on the NSW mid-north coast; his body was found in nearby water.
There is a light, don’t let it go out
Essa Dennaoui
Essa Dennaoui, 5 years old
Body located in water at the Georges River in Sydney’s south-west.
There is a light, don’t let it go out
News ‘Worst nightmare’: Heartbreaking update in search for boy, 5, missing from southwest Sydney
Gurshabad Singh
Gurshabad Singh, 8 years old
A boy with autism and severe health-care needs drowned in a display-home pool at Kialla, near Shepparton, Victoria. Left his father’s sight for a moment.
There is a light, don’t let it go out
Grieving father whose son drowned in display home pool says his death was preventable
Ali Aminzadah
Ali Aminzadah, 4 years old
On Mother’s Day in May 2024, 4-year-old Ali Aminzadah, a non-verbal boy recently diagnosed with autism, drowned after wandering from his uncle’s home in Officer, Melbourne. The family from Swan Hill was visiting relatives when Ali left the front yard and entered a nearby lagoon in a wetland area just 50 metres away. Police found him unresponsive; he was pronounced dead at the scene. His parents are suing Melbourne Water and Cardinia Shire Council, alleging inadequate fencing contributed to the tragedy.
There is a light, don’t let it go out
Theo Yarnold
Theo Yarnold, 5 years old
In February 2023, Theo, who was non-verbal and autistic, wandered from his home in Ipswich and drowned in a neighbour’s dam. The incident underscored the need for secure fencing and supervision around rural or semi-rural properties with water hazards.
There is a light, don’t let it go out
Bailey Fuller
Bailey Fuller, 8 years old
Bailey, autistic with a known fascination with water, drowned in a dam in Central Victoria (near Bendigo area). This case was referenced in media coverage of a similar near-miss rescue of another autistic boy from a creek the same month, highlighting repeated risks in regional areas with dams and waterways.
There is a light, don’t let it go out
https://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/73789/baileys-family-says-thanks
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/cameraman-rescues-lost-autistic-boy-20120227-1tyyz.html
Lachlan Donley
Lachlan Donley, 5 years old,
Lachlan, diagnosed with autism, went missing from his backyard in Noarlunga and was found dead in the Onkaparinga River (a natural waterway). The case highlighted wandering risks for young autistic children and led to community calls for better home safety measures.
South Australia, December 2006
There is a light, don’t let it go out
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2006-12-31/autistic-boy-found-dead-in-river/2163378
Christian Peck
Christian Peck, 3 years
Christian, aged 3 years 11 months with autism spectrum disorder and a significant tendency to abscond, died by drowning in the Yarra River after escaping through an unsecured window at his father’s house on 30 October 2009.
The case highlighted the risks posed to autistic children who are prone to wandering (“elopement”). Following the incident, there were calls to improve safety measures, including potential tracking technology (such as GPS bracelets) for children with autism.
https://www.coronerscourt.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2018-12/christianjaysherwoodpeck_517509.pdf
Sam Trott
Sam Trott, 2 years
Sam, diagnosed with autism at age two, went missing on 9 December 2014 after his mother briefly lost sight of him at home. A large search followed. About 23 hours later, he was found in a nearby lake 600 metres away; the coroner ruled accidental drowning.
There is a light, don’t let it go out
Airlie Montgomery
Airlie Montgomery, 6 years old
A non-verbal autistic girl whose body was found in water after wandering from her coastal home in NSW.
Family’s quest for sensory-safe playgrounds following daughter’s tragic death at The Grotto lookout
WIN News Illawarra – Airlie Montgomery was today laid to rest
Name Suppressed
Name suppressed (Townsville, QLD), 3 years
Non-verbal, autistic toddler whose body was found in a stormwater drain about 150 m from her home in Kelso, Townsville, after leaving through an unlocked front door while her father slept following prolonged methamphetamine use. The 30-year-old father was found guilty of manslaughter in the Supreme Court of Queensland.
ABC News Father found guilty of non-verbal, autistic daughter’s manslaughter after drowning death
Joey Vines
Joey Vines, 6 years old
A non-verbal autistic boy in Perth who moved with his family to a new home drowned after climbing fences and entering a neighbour’s pool.
Perth mother Karen Hall still unpacking her grief after the drowning of her six-year-old son Joey
Perhaps
Perhaps, Vera Brittain, 1916 dedicated to R.A.L
Perhaps some day the sun will shine again,
And I shall see that still the skies are blue.
And feel once more I do not live in vain,
Although bereft of You.
Perhaps the golden meadows at my feet
Will make the sunny hours of Spring seem gay.
And I shall find the white May blossoms sweet,
Though You have passed away.
Perhaps the summer woods will shimmer bright,
And crimson roses once again be fair,
And autumn harvest fields a rich delight,
Although You are not there.
Perhaps some day I shall not shrink in pain
To see the passing of the dying year,
And listen to Christmas songs again,
Although You cannot hear.
But, though kind Time may many joys renew,
There is one greatest joy I shall not know
Again, because my heart for loss of You
Was broken, long ago.
National Autistic Homicide Memorial
The autistic children, young people, and adults remembered here were real people, and their lives mattered.
The National Autistic Homicide Memorial exists to honour those whose lives were taken, and to ensure they are not hidden within statistics, reduced to headlines, or erased by policy language that failed to recognise their vulnerability and humanity.
Too often, after these deaths, the focus turns primarily on blaming the perpetrator, while the clear warning signs of system failures, safeguarding breakdowns, and missed opportunities for intervention are overlooked. The deeper lessons these homicide, filicide, and familicide tragedies reveal must not be ignored, as they are key to stopping further homicides against autistic people.
This memorial exists because remembrance matters. A country that does not name and honour its autistics murdered, risks continuing to fail those living with severe and profound autism.
If you know someone who should be remembered here, or you are next of kin and wish to make contact, please email CEO@profoundautismnetwork.org.
National Autistic Homicide Memorial
Kadyn Cockman
Kadyn Cockman, 8 years old
All four siblings are autistic. Shot by grandfather Peter Miles in a familicide that also killed their mother (Katrina Miles) and grandmother (Cynda Miles); Miles then suicided.
There is a light, don’t let it go out
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-23/when-carers-kill/9894514
https://disability-memorial.org/taye-miles-rylan-miles-arye-miles-and-kadyn-cockman
Ayre Cockman
Ayre Cockman, 10 years old
All four siblings are autistic. Shot by grandfather Peter Miles in a familicide that also killed their mother (Katrina Miles) and grandmother (Cynda Miles); Miles then suicided.
There is a light, don’t let it go out
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-23/when-carers-kill/9894514
https://disability-memorial.org/taye-miles-rylan-miles-arye-miles-and-kadyn-cockman
Rylan Cockman
Rylan Cockman, 12 years old
All four siblings are autistic. Shot by grandfather Peter Miles in a familicide that also killed their mother (Katrina Miles) and grandmother (Cynda Miles); Miles then suicided.
There is a light, don’t let it go out
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-23/when-carers-kill/9894514
https://disability-memorial.org/taye-miles-rylan-miles-arye-miles-and-kadyn-cockman
Taye Cockman
Taye Cockman, 13 years old
All four siblings are autistic. Shot by grandfather Peter Miles in a familicide that also killed their mother (Katrina Miles) and grandmother (Cynda Miles); Miles then suicided.
There is a light, don’t let it go out
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-23/when-carers-kill/9894514
https://disability-memorial.org/taye-miles-rylan-miles-arye-miles-and-kadyn-cockman
Boy C
Boy C, 11 years old
Disability: Autism
Died: 01/10/2011
Location: NSW
Circumstances:
Hypothermia and torture
Killer: Names withheld
Relationship:
Mother and stepfather
Punishment:
Mother pleaded guilty to manslaughter, but the verdict is unknown due to a non-publication order.
There is a light, don’t let it go out
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-23/when-carers-kill/9894514
Liam Milne
Liam Milne, 10 years old
Autistic (plus Fragile X syndrome; more severe than his surviving brother). Killed in a deliberate murder-suicide car crash into a tree by his father, Darren Milne (who also killed his pregnant mother, Susana and the unborn child).
There is a light, don’t let it go out
https://coroners.nsw.gov.au/documents/findings/2016/Findings%20Castillo,%20Milne%20and%20Milne.pdf
Martin Manrique
Martin Manrique, 10 years old
Autistic (with significant support needs). Father Fernando Manrique rigged the home to release carbon monoxide gas, killing the children and their mother before suiciding (murder-suicide). The coroner found he acted alone.
There is a light, don’t let it go out
https://coroners.nsw.gov.au/documents/findings/2019/Lutz%20Manrique%20Finding%20v2.pdf
Elisa Manrique
Elisa Manrique, 11 years old
Autistic (with significant support needs). Father Fernando Manrique rigged the home to release carbon monoxide gas, killing the children and their mother before suiciding (murder-suicide). The coroner found he acted alone.
There is a light, don’t let it go out
https://coroners.nsw.gov.au/documents/findings/2019/Lutz%20Manrique%20Finding%20v2.pdf
Shellay Ebony Ward
Shellay Ebony Ward, 7 years old
Autistic girl who died from starvation and neglect by her parents, Blakeley Ward and Sharyn Ward. Mother sentenced to life imprisonment for murder; father received a minimum 12-year sentence for manslaughter.
There is a light, don’t let it go out
https://cmsassets.ombo.nsw.gov.au/assets/Reports/Special-Report-Death-of-Ebony-Oct-2009.pdf
Jason Dawes
Jason Dawes, 10 years old
Kings Langley, NSW (August 2003). A severely autistic boy was smothered by his mother, Daniela Dawes, who cited overwhelming caregiving pressures and depression. She pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Sentenced to a 5-year good behaviour bond (no jail time).
There is a light, don’t let it go out
Otis Clune
Otis Clune, 14 years old
Autistic boy with severe autism and significant health challenges, one of two brothers killed by their parents in a murder-suicide in Mosman Park, Perth; described as non-verbal or minimally verbal.
There is a light, don’t let it go out
Leon Clune
Leon Clune, 16 years old
Autistic brother of Otis Clune, also killed in the same Perth murder-suicide; described as non-verbal or minimally verbal.
There is a light, don’t let it go out
Harley James Smith
Harley James Smith, 7 years old
A 7-year-old boy was killed when his father deliberately drove their car into an oncoming truck, just three days after his partner’s death from metastatic cancer. Despite underlying family violence and severe stress, no clear warning signs were identified. The case highlights challenges in detecting acute suicide risk and the need for strong family support during terminal illness and bereavement.
There is a light, don’t let it go out
Woman C
Woman C, 18 years
Age: 18
Disability: Developmental disability, autism
Died: 04/09/2012
Location: Qld
Circumstances: Forced drug overdose
Killer: Cannot be named
Relationship: Mother
Punishment: Mother charged with murder, case is ongoing
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-23/when-carers-kill/9894514
For the unknown murdered autistic child/adult
For the unknown murdered autistic child/adult
For the unknown murdered autistic child/adult
Death Is Nothing At All
Death is nothing at all.
I have only slipped away to the next room.
I am I and you are you.
Whatever we were to each other,
That, we still are.
Call me by my old familiar name.
Speak to me in the easy way
which you always used.
Put no difference into your tone.
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
Laugh as we always laughed
at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me. Pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word
that it always was.
Let it be spoken without effect.
Without the trace of a shadow on it.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same that it ever was.
There is absolute unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind
because I am out of sight?
I am but waiting for you.
For an interval.
Somewhere. Very near.
Just around the corner.
All is well.
Henry Scott-Holland, 1910
National Autistic Carer Memorial
The carers remembered here were real people whose lives mattered deeply.
They were parents, siblings, partners, support workers, and loved ones who gave everything to care for autistic children, young people, and adults, especially those with profound autism and high support needs.
The National Autistic Carer Memorial exists to honour the carers who have died in the course of their caring role. It also recognises they paid the ultimate cost, and their enormous emotional, physical, financial, and social pressures they carried while supporting autistic people in systems that too often failed to deliver adequate help and failed to learn from systemic failures.
Carers frequently endure exhaustion, isolation, burnout, declining mental and physical health, and an overwhelming weight of responsibility, often with little meaningful respite or support. Their struggles are too easily hidden behind expectations of endless resilience and sacrifice, while the urgent need for better services, respite care, safeguarding measures, and community resources remains overlooked.
This memorial exists because remembrance matters. A country that does not fully acknowledge and support its carers risks failing both the carers themselves and the autistic people who depend on them.
We remember these carers for the love, duty, and extraordinary commitment they showed every single day. Their lives, their experiences, and their contributions deserve to be honoured with dignity and compassion.
If you know of a carer who should be remembered here, or if you are next of kin and wish to make contact, please email CEO@profoundautismnetwork.org.
National Profound Autism Memorial
Rachel Martin, + unborn baby
Rachel Martin, + unborn baby
Died trying to save Riley Christopher Shortland
There is a light, don’t let it go out
Nischal Ghimire
Nischal Ghimire Carer Kevin Maghsoodi
Carer Nischal Ghimire drowned attempting to rescue a 10-year-old non-verbal autistic boy Kevin Maghsoodi. The family later exhausted NDIS funding on 2:1 supervision that was only approved after the tragedy.
There is a light, don’t let it go out
For the unknown carer
For the unknown carer
For the unknown carer
The Dead Woman (abridged)
If suddenly you do not exist,
If suddenly you no longer live,
I shall live on.
I do not dare,
I do not dare to write it,
If you die.
I shall live on.
For where a man has no voice,
There, my voice.
When victory,
not my victory,
But the great victory comes,
even though I am mute, I must speak;
I shall see it come even
Though I am blind.
Pablo Neruda, 1952
