‘I want it to end’: five years after Darren Culleton died in custody, his family is still waiting for compensation

Darren Culleton’s mum, Mary, and brother Gary (pictured) are being forced into medical panel hearings in order to confirm their psychological damage from the result of Darren’s death in custody. Photograph: Sean Davey/The Guardian

After a family member dies in custody, after the autopsy and the funeral, after the police investigation and the inquest – if they occur – and after you decide to sue the Victorian government, you may find yourself in front of a medical panel explaining how the death affected you.

It is a labyrinthine process and it is getting even more complicated.