Indigenous community outrage over Queensland death in custody
Updated
Members of Queensland's indigenous commmunity will march on the Australian State's Parliament today, enraged over the latest death in custody. An 18 year old prisoner has died, and there's claims Brisbane jail staff denied him adequate medical treatment even though he was too sick to walk. The timing of the tragedy is all the more poignant, with the third inquest into the controversial Palm Island death in custody currently being heard in North Queensland.
Presenter: Nicole Butler
Speakers: Alex Gator, Prison Chaplain; Sam Watson, Brisbane Indigenous Community leader
BUTLER: Just as the third inquest into the Palm Island death in custody is being heard, news of another case broke, this time in Brisbane. Prison chaplain Reverend Alex Gator says inmates at the Arthur Gorrie correctional centre called her with news of the tragedy...
GATOR: this young youth from inala only 18 years of age he had spent five weeks on remand at the Arthur Gorrie Centre and then he became ill, so he was ill for six days the first time he'd gone to the medical centre he was given Panadol, other times he'd gone he was told that there was nothing wrong with him so he was repeatedly denied medical assistance. Towards the end the boys had to carry him, the Murri boys in his unit had to carry him because he could hardly walk, they nearly caused a riot the Murri boys, they yelled out to the officer get him to the hospital and one officer made the comment well if he can go to the toilet there's nothing wrong with him.
BUTLER: Reverend Gator says the teenager was ultimately rushed to hospital -and put on life support. But he died a few days later, on the 20th of February.
GATOR: Now i conducted a memorial service and the boys say they only saw him a week couple of weeks ago talking laughing joking and next thing they hear this young man is dead
BUTLER: Reverend Gator says the teenager should never have been put in jail because he had a serious pre-existing medical condition.
GATOR: And that is the question we're asking why? Why was he in prison not in hospital? I mean he wasn't a terrorist, you know a paedophile or a rapist or a murderer he was in there for a misdemeanour As far as I'm concerned its just racial discrimination towards aborignal people this is about racial hatred attitudes towards aboriginal people they're deliberatley turned away and told there's nothing wrong with them.And corrective services have failed in their duty of care to provide a service this young man.
BUTLER: The deceased teenager can't be named for cultural reasons. But Brisbane Indigenous Community leader Sam Watson says news of the death in custody has spread like wildfire.
WATSON: We are very concerned about this because this appears to be yet another aboriginal death in custody that could've been avoided that should've been avoided. Queensland's Corrective Services have issued a written statement saying 'there are no suspicious causes' for the teenagers death. Adding all deaths in custody are referred to the Coroner and to the Chief Inspector of Prisons for investigation. But Mr Watson says the indigenous community is calling on the state govt to instigate a full coronial inquest.
WATSON: There has to be a lot of questions answered we want to get to the bottom of this and we want to do it very very quickly. We don't want this to drag on like Palm Island. The Palm Island death in custody happened six years ago he we are six years down the track we still haven't received any outcomes we still haven't received any real closure.
BUTLER: No one has ever been charged with Cameron Doomagee's death on Palm Island in 2004, and the circumstances surrounding it remain shrouded in doubt. This week the third coronial inquest into the watch house death is being heard and today Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley is expected to take the stand. The initial inquiry found the policeman fatally wounded Mr Doomagee, but Senior Sergeant Hurley was acquitted of manslaughter charges three years ago.
