Brontë Haskins' family hope coronial inquest provides answers

Brontë is alleged to have taken her own life while on bail from the Alexander Maconochie Centre, having been charged after several drug driving arrests.

Magistrate Beth Campbell released Brontë into the care of Janine Haskins, who was under strict conditions to report to police should her daughter stay out overnight, drive, or do drugs.

An ACT Mental Health services report revealed police failed to alert the acute mental health team after being called to assist with Brontë, and Ms Haskins calls to the service were categorised as low priority.

The report acknowledged a staff member's decision to triage Brontë this way was a mistake.

Ms Haskins only obtained access to reports detailing the circumstance of her daughter's death in February last year after requesting them through freedom of information laws.

After pushing for a coronial inquest, Mrs Haskins will meet with legal services for the first time on Monday to begin the process of uncovering "truth, transparency and accountability" for Brontë.

The former court liaison officer and Belconnen Remand Centre welfare officer said the fact she fought so hard for information was proof the system needed reforming.

A member of the ACT's recently formed, Alliance for Coronial Reform group, Ms Haskins supports a restorative approach to proceedings to establish the circumstances of her daughter's death.

A restorative approach would have all stakeholders work together to establish solutions to possible shortcomings rather than have the courts engage in finger pointing, Ms Haskins said.

She said her experience of the courts had shown her families were often treated as extras in a play, waiting for their turn to speak about their loved ones.

Just 23 at the time, Brontë had a long history of engagement with ACT health having battled mental health concerns alongside addiction to drugs for several years.

In the days before her hospitalisation and then death, Ms Haskins and her husband Peter McLaren requested intervention from police four times.

They said a lack of experience and compassion for those with drug dependencies hindered appropriate action which might have prevented Brontë's death.

Mrs Haskins said it is unacceptable police officers undermined magistrate Campbell's orders, which stipulated intervention should Brontë appear to be on drugs.

She had made one of the calls to Belconnen Police Station after finding Brontë searching her bungalow for evidence they were inside a gas chamber.

Mrs Haskins said documents obtained through freedom of information revealed paramedics found drug paraphernalia inside the bungalow, yet left Brontë after rousing her and providing a ventilator.

She said this should have been enough evidence her daughter needed care.

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"Brontë was a young woman who experienced several traumatic and adverse situations," Mrs Haskins said.

"She was also a great strength for so many in her life and many times over she changed the lives of those around her.

"She had an absolute heart of gold and the roar of a lion if you hurt those she cared about."

Mrs Haskins said it's important to her family to be part of the process that forms a record Brontë is remembered by.

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