Outcry at fifth Indigenous death in custody in a month

A 45-year-old WA maximum security inmate’s death is the fifth Indigenous death in custody in a month. This is what happened.

The fifth Indigenous death in custody in a month has provoked an outcry by Aboriginal leaders after a 45-year-old maximum security inmate died in a Western Australia prison last weekend.

The prisoner from Western Australia’s Casuarina Prison, who has not been publicly identified, died on Saturday.

He had been taken to the secure wing of Fiona Stanley Hospital in southern Perth where he underwent a medical procedure and was placed in intensive care where he died.

Among the outcry from Indigenous leaders, Victoria’s first Aboriginal politician, Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe posted on Twitter that the man was “the 5th Aboriginal person to die in this country’s criminal legal system since the start of March”.

“The pain is never ending! No justice, no peace!!,” she wrote.

Since 1991, almost 500 Indigenous Australians have died in prison or in the custody of police.

The latest spate of deaths began on March 2 when a 35-year-old Aboriginal man died in Sydney’s Long Bay jail hospital after being found unresponsive in his cell.

The cause of the man’s death is yet to be determined by the NSW Coroner, but it is believed he had a pre-existing medical condition.

Three days later, a 44-year-old female inmate died in Silverwater Women’s Correctional Centre in western Sydney.

Corrective Services NSW said that on March 5, the woman “was found unresponsive in her cell about 12.45pm and pronounced dead at 1.30pm”.

Indigenous Senator Lidia Thorpe (above at an Invasion Day rally in January) has protested at the fifth death in custody in a month. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Anzac Sullivan died after a police pursuit in Broken Hill, NSW, on March 18, the fourth of five indigenous deaths in custody in a month.

This is the 5th Aboriginal person to die in this country’s criminal legal system since the start of March. The pain is never ending! No justice, no peace!!

I’ll be on the streets on April 10 for the Stop Black Deaths in Custody protest - see you there ✊🏾 https://t.co/JZm2g98iR1

— Senator Lidia Thorpe (@lidia__thorpe) April 5, 2021

RELATED: Indigenous man dies after police pursuit in Broken Hill

RELATED: Aboriginal man dies in custody in Victoria

It is believed the woman, who was serving an eight month sentence, took her own life.

On March 7 at Victoria’s Ravenhall Correctional Centre another Indigenous man died.

Then on March 18, Anzac Sullivan, a Barkindji man, died during a police pursuit in Broken Hill, NSW.

Officers had gone to the 37-year-old’s house with a warrant when, police said, Mr Sullivan ran from the Silver Street property.

Police pursued him and soon after, he suffered a “medical episode”.

Officers tried to resuscitate him, but he was taken to Broken Hill Hospital where he was declared dead

The Aboriginal Legal Service’s principal solicitor in the NSW and ACT, Sarah Crellin, said following Mr Sullivan’s death: “Any death in custody is an absolute tragedy, and our hearts go out to the Sullivan family and their community.

An inmate from WA’s Casuarina Prison died earlier in March.

Indigenous protest march in Perth after Julieka Dhu died in WA custody in 2014 at Port Hedland. Picture: Bohdan Warchomij.

Protest in Brisbane in September last year over a death in custody at the Roma Street watch-house. Picture: Richard Walker.

“We are devastated and furious that another precious life has been lost.”

Despite Indigenous persons comprising about 3.3 per cent of the Australian population, they represent a high proportion of people in prison.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics figures from December 2020, of Australia’s 41,668 prison inmates, 12,344 or 29.6pc are of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent.

A number of protests are planned ahead of April 15, the 30th anniversary of the release of the findings of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.

Indigenous leaders say few of the 339 recommendations from the findings have been implemented.

Indigenous Labor Senator Pat Dodson has warned that another royal commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody could be needed if deaths continue.

At a parliamentary inquiry last month, Senator Dodson questioned what action was being taken to address the issue.

“This is a scandal. An absolute scandal,” he said.

Assistant Attorney-General Amanda Stoker said 91pc the royal commission’s recommendations had been fully implemented.

She said the reasons why so many indigneous people were incarcerated needed state and territory action.

The Aboriginal Legal Service has called for an urgent independent investigation of Anzac Sullivan’s death.

Lidia Thorpe tweeted: “I’ll be on the streets on April 10 for the Stop Black Deaths in Custody protest – see you there.”

[e-mail]