This article from NITV examines Australia's history of forcibly removing indigenous children from their families, and criminalizing them for it. The article shares the story of Vickie Roach, a woman who, in 1961, "was taken into state care after her mother asked the authorities to look after her temporarily while she went to have another child in a home for unmarried mothers. Her mother never got her back." Roach was made a ward of the state and placed into the care of a white foster family. She later learned that her wardship file included a charge for "neglect by way of destitution," suggesting that she was criminalized simply for being placed into state care.
The article explains that this criminalization of children in care was a common practice in the state of Victoria. "This was because the children’s court didn't differentiate properly between children who were taken into state custody because of criminal behaviour, and those taken supposedly for their own protection."
“It was basically the start of my criminalisation, because [after that] things that normal kids would get the wooden spoon for, or the strap, I'd have the child welfare brought in, and it would often become a charge,” says Roach.