Unrest in Aurukun after New Year’s Day tragedy
A man is dead and extra police are being rushed into a Cape York community to ease growing unrest in the wake of the New Year’s Day tragedy.
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A MAN is dead and extra police are being rushed into a Cape York community to ease growing unrest in the wake of the New Year’s Day tragedy.
Police confirmed last night they were investigating an alleged homicide in Aurukun after a 38-year-old was pronounced dead in the local medical centre.
Far North police Chief Supt Brian Huxley said extra police were being driven or flown in from around the Far North to both assist the investigation and help calm the community.
He said dozens of locals had armed themselves with makeshift weapons with both the police station and medical centre placed into lockdown.
He said police were also searching for a man and woman to speak with about the man’s suspicious death after he allegedly suffered a stab wound.
The incident came less than a day after a man was left fighting for his life after allegedly being stabbed in the chest at a residence in Kowanyama.
The 40-year-old was flown to Townsville Hospital, where he was in a critical condition.
Multiple people including his de facto partner have spoken with police but charges were yet to be laid, with detectives flying into the community late yesterday.
Cape York police Insp Mark Henderson said alcohol had likely played a factor despite the community being dry.
He unleashed on “parasite” sly groggers who have fuelled three weeks of violence in Kowanyama culminating in the potentially fatal New Year’s Eve stabbing.
He said the area had been marred by unrest, including dozens of violent incidents, after significant quantities of contraband booze was snuck into the dry community.
“It has just been relentless,” he said. “We seized 119 litres in one week leading into Christmas, but no matter how much we seized some still got through.
“I’m bitterly disappointed with the Kowanyama community and it’s been absolutely appalling that some of the more vulnerable have been subject to assaults, woundings and personal crime.”
He said sly groggers continued to find more complex methods to sneak the alcohol in, including reporting fake crimes to lure police to one part of town, or burying it in the bush. The alcohol is sold at marked-up prices with a 700ml rum bottle likely to fetch $250.
“Where does someone even get the money to buy 50 bottles of rum in the first place?” he said. “These people are parasites. They’re leeching money from their own and spreading violence.”
Insp Henderson said up until yesterday Aurukun had remained quiet over the Christmas period, crediting police with blocking the booze supply, including one haul of 65 rum bottles with a potential value of more than $16,000.
“Aurukun and other communities, the mayors, they are constantly urging me to do more to keep the grog out of their communities. It makes them feel unsafe,” he said.
Originally published as Unrest in Aurukun after New Year’s Day tragedy
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