Mother of allegedly slain teen speaks out after losing court battle over son’s burial
THE mother of an allegedly murdered teenage boy is ‘disgusted’ after she says she wasn’t invited to her son’s funeral following a months-long legal battle over where he was to be buried
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Slain teen to be laid to rest in Darwin as appeal bid rejected
- Slain Darwin teen’s mum speaks of her pain at his ‘spirit unable to rest’ amid dispute over burial place
THE mother of an allegedly murdered teenage boy is “disgusted” after she says she wasn’t invited to her son’s funeral following a months-long legal battle over where he was to be buried.
The 15-year-old, who cannot be named for cultural reasons, died after allegedly being stabbed to death in the Bagot community last May.
His mother, Constance Puruntatameri, finally lost a court battle to have his body buried on Melville Island – his homeland – against the woman who raised him in Darwin, Rosemary Baird.
In a decision handed down on Christmas Eve, NT Criminal Court of Appeal Justices Stephen Southwood, Sonia Brownhill and Trevor Riley dismissed an appeal by Ms Puruntatameri and ruled in favour of a previous decision in favour of Ms Baird.
It comes after the Court of Appeal also rejected an application for the boy’s remains to continue to be held by the coroner pending a further appeal to the High Court in Canberra in early December.
MORE TOP NEWS
Nearly 2000 Northern Territory businesses relying on JobKeeper which is being cut today
Alleged car thief caught when he abandoned his vehicle after being tracked by helicopter
Ms Puruntatameri said her son’s funeral was held in Palmerston in December and he was buried at Thorak cemetery.
“I didn’t get invited, I went on my own,” she said.
“I’m disgusted with them and none of them said sorry to me.”
Ms Puruntatameri’s daughter Nikita said burying the boy away from his homeland went against Tiwi custom.
“He doesn’t have anyone there with him, he’s lonely,” she said.
“He has no family to guide him in the spirit world.
“In our way we put him with their family so they don’t get lost in the world.”
She said the court battle had been “a long mission and a very disappointing mission”.
NT NEWS sizzling new deal: Get all your news for just $5 a month
In the Court of Appeal decision, the three Justices said Ms Baird was the boy’s caregiver since he was five months old and “assumed the role of mother and treated the deceased as her son”.
“For all practical purposes, the respondent became and remained the mother of the deceased to the time of his death,” the decision said.
Prison boss backs ‘privatisation’ bill to tackle crisis in Corrections
The Corrections boss has said hiring private contractors may be the way to break a cycle of lockdowns in the Territory’s overburdened prison system, as his workers question his leadership in a ‘no confidence’ vote.
Breather called on bitter court battle over a tree between NTG departments
Time has been called for two Territory government departments locked in a bitter court battle over a tree – but the fight’s not over yet. Find out why.