Former Superintendent Admits to Misleading Corruption Watchdog about CCTV Camera Covering in Juvenile Detention Facility
Doug Coyne, the former superintendent of Banksia Hill Detention Centre's Unit 18, admitted to providing misleading information to the Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC) regarding the practice of detainees covering their cell cameras. This practice ultimately contributed to the death of 16-year-old Cleveland Dodd, who died by suicide in the facility.
During the coronial inquest into Cleveland's death, Coyne initially denied being aware of the camera-covering issue before the tragedy. However, under intense questioning, he conceded that he had been informed about the problem months prior to Cleveland's death. He also admitted that he had not issued a directive to stop the practice until after Cleveland's death, despite staff raising concerns about it repeatedly.
Coyne's admission has raised serious questions about the management of Unit 18 and the safety of detainees housed there. The inquest heard that the unit continued to house detainees at the highest risk of self-harm even after Cleveland's death, despite the fact that they could not be properly monitored due to the camera-covering issue.
The inquest is ongoing, and it is expected that further details about the management of Unit 18 and the circumstances surrounding Cleveland's death will be revealed.