Adriaan Roodt's mother fights for change after 'indescribable loss'

It was late morning on October 18, 2018, her son Adriaan Roodt had been badly hurt while on an excursion to Mount Ainslie, she was told.

The 17-year-old Campbell High School student was taken to Canberra Hospital where, tragically, he died soon after.

Adriaan had sustained extensive injuries in what Education Minister Yvette Berry at the time called a "terrible accident" while playing Capture the flag with the school.

Police launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Adriaan's death, with WorkSafe ACT contributing to a report for the coroner.

On Tuesday, almost three and a half years later, a court heard the details of that investigation.

Ms Roodt, who provided a statement during the coroner's hearing this week, has described the "absolutely awful wait" for an outcome. A proceeding likely drawn-out longer due, until recently, a lack of dedicated coroner in the ACT.

Despite the delay, Ms Roodt said the family was hopeful the inquest considered every factor contributing to Adriaan's death and change would follow.

In a statement read out in court, Ms Roodt said there were not enough words in the dictionary to describe the impact of Adriaan's death on his parents, sister and grandparents.

"Adriaan was like a ray of sunshine, brightening up the lives of everybody he had contact with. When he died, it was as if a light was turned off for us," she said.

"Now, three and a half years since Adriaan passed away, we are still stumbling through the darkness trying to come to terms with our indescribable loss."

Ms Roodt told the court that meant coming to terms with the trauma of everything they witnessed on the day of the incident.

"I personally still cannot bring myself to share with even my closest friends or family the details of everything we saw and experienced on the day, because I do not want the details being imprinted in their memories the way it has been imprinted on mine forever going forward," she said.

"They do not need to share in the nightmares I still experience."

With her husband Christiaan and daughter Christelle, the Yass family should've been celebrating Adriaan's 21st birthday this September.

Ms Roodt said he had wanted to become an electrician.

"Everything was just perfect in his life. He was just always happy and everybody just loved him," she said.

"His sister Christelle, she's 17 now, and she's achieving milestones that he never could.

"She now has her license and she's enjoying the holidays and spending time with her friends.

"She had her year 10 formal and he could never have his year 10 formal, it's bittersweet for her."

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No charges have ever been laid in relation to the incident.

ACT police confirmed this week findings made by the coroner will be considered and inform a decision for further action.

Ms Roodt said her family was fighting for improved processes within the Education Directorate, to prevent another tragedy during an outdoor ed class in Canberra.

She said they wanted standardised policies, procedures and training put in place, specifically with regards to risk assessment and staff ratios.

"It might bring us comfort knowing that something constructive came from our indescribable loss," Ms Roodt said.

In her statement, Ms Roodt said she had hoped the coronial process would help her family understand the Department of Public Prosecution and Worksafe decision not to prosecute the Education Directorate for breaches of the Work Health and Safety Act.

Ms Roodt said the outcome of the two-year process had been very different to what they had anticipated.

"For us, this is not about the school, or the individual teachers involved," she said.

"It is about the ACT Education Directorate and processes which should have been in place, not only to protect kids attending school but also the teachers responsible for their safety whilst at school."

A spokeswoman for the Education Directorate told The Canberra Times the death of Adriaan Roodt was a terrible incident.

"Our thoughts are with Adriaan's family and friends. As this matter is now subject to a formal coronial process it would be inappropriate to say anything further at this stage," the spokeswoman said.

"The Education Directorate has been providing support to staff at Campbell High School and students impacted."

READ MORE: Safety culture examined in inquest into teen's death

In her statement, Ms Roodt said it was ironic her family had immigrated from South Africa so her children could grow up somewhere they could be safe and have a future.

"We left behind our families, friends, careers, and everything familiar to us to move to Australia with the firm believe our kids will be safe, never expecting we will send our child to school where he will sustain life threatening injuries during a supervised outdoor education activity," Ms Roodt said.

She said that at the time of his death, 17 year-old Adriaan was driving, had a new girlfriend and had begun making career choices.

"He was happy and funny and he always saw the positive in everything," she said.

"He always just made us laugh."

Ms Roodt said at the end of the lengthy coronial investigation, almost three and a half years since the incident, they were just getting on with things.

"You can never be OK when you lose a child," she said. "We're as OK as you can be."

All parties involved in the inquest will now submit written submissions for the coroner to review before the final hearing, whereby the coroner will make his recommendations.

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