The grandfather of a 24-year-old man who died in custody last month is pleading with the prime minister to “step in” amid what he calls a “justice crisis” in theNorthern Territory.
Kumanjayi White, a Warlpiri man with disabilitiesdied after being restrained by policeat an Alice Springs supermarket last month. His death sparked multiple rallies and vigils both in the Northern Territory and in cities and towns nationally, including at the weekend.
In an open letter, White’s grandfather, respected elder Ned Jampijinpa Hargraves, urged Anthony Albanese to “match your fine words with action” and claimed that the NT criminal justice system is failing and in “crisis”.
“This madness must stop. You must step in now,” he wrote.
The letter was released ahead of protests in Sydney and Alice Springs on Saturday.
Hargraves said there was “no trust” between the community of Yuendumu and the NT police.
White was from the same remote community devastatedby the fatal 2019 shooting of Kumanjayi Walkerby an NT police officer, Zachary Rolfe. Rolfe was later charged with murder but acquitted of all charges in a supreme court trial.
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The inquest into Walker’s death revealed shocking allegations of racism from NT police officers, includingracist mock awardsgiven to police officers andoffensive racist text messages. The findings are due to be handed down by the coroner next month.
The open letter was released on the 18th anniversary of the NT intervention, a controversial “emergency response” policy implemented by the Howard government, with bipartisan support, using as justification a report documenting child sexual abuse. It saw the government compulsorily acquire township leases over Aboriginal-owned land; abolish the permit system which gave Aboriginal people control over who entered their land; introduce income management to all community residents receiving welfare payments; send the army in to police communities; and post signs declaring bans on alcohol and pornography in township or “prescribed” areas.
Hargraves said the federal government used sweeping powers to “take away all our rights, our jobs and our assets” under the intervention, so it had the power to step in and help communities.
“Our communities were devastated and we have not recovered,” he wrote. “Now we demand action from Canberra to see that our rights are restored.”
The family are renewing their demands for an independent investigation, the release of CCTV footage, and for the officers involved to be stood down while the investigation is ongoing.
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The NT police and territory government have repeatedly ruled outanother jurisdiction taking over the investigationinto White’s death.
Hargraves also expressed his community’s solidarity with the Warlpiri community after the death of an Aboriginal man who diedin custody in Darwina week after his grandson.
The 68-year-old from the remote community of Wadeye died in intensive care atDarwinhospital after he was arrested by Australian federal police over reports he was “intoxicated” and unable to board a flight out of Darwin. NT police said the cause of death was undetermined, pending a postmortem examination.
He was a respected andsenior elderwho lobbied for bilingual schooling and better education funding for his community.
The prime minister’s office, the minister forIndigenous Australiansand the NT government have been contacted for further response.
In Australia, the crisis support serviceLifelineis 13 11 14. Indigenous Australians can call13YARNon 13 92 76 for information and crisis support. Other international helplines can be found atbefrienders.org