CATH NEWS REPORT: Suicide prevention advocate Mary Victor O'Reeri (PICTURE) said a young Aboriginal person dies by suicide almost every week in WA's Kimberley region, and a priest in the area says most people don't ask for help, reports the ABC.
Father Raj Koppula is the priest in Kununurra, in the East Kimberley. He has been in the town for a year after moving from India and says most people will not seek help.
"They don't express their feelings, so they're keeping most of their thoughts within their hearts... So that I think hurts them within themselves and leads to suicide," he said.
But Father Raj also says alcohol and drug abuse are huge problems in the Kimberley, as is boredom and low self-esteem.
Ms O'Reeri lives in Billard, north of Broome. Billard and other communities like it in the Kimberley are united by their despair at what is being described as a chronic pattern, which has seen 11 deaths since late December and countless attempts and incidents of self-harm.
Ms O'Reeri says not having a job, not having a goal, in an area where there are limited resources takes young people down this path.
"It becomes a problem of layers of problems and social issues," she said. "They are calling to Government, to non-government, to people to help us.
"They are really, really in despair at the moment and extremely worried about their own children, grandchildren, great grandchildren."
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