Four Indigenous deaths in custody ‘a red flag’

A 37-year-old man from far western NSW is the fourth Indigenous person to die in custody in less than three weeks after a police raid turned into a chase in the mining town of Broken Hill.

Barkindji man Anzac Sullivan, 37, died in a police pursuit in Broken Hill.

A 37-year-old man from far western NSW is the fourth Indigenous person to die in custody in less than three weeks after a police raid turned into a chase in the mining town of Broken Hill.

Police say Brakindji man Anzac Sullivan died after “a medical episode” on March 18. Officers tried to revive him, according to a statement from NSW Police.

The deaths of four Indigenous people in police custody or prison over a 16-day period has caused alarm on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in ­Custody.

On March 2, an Indigenous man in his 30s died under prison guard at Long Bay Hospital in NSW. On March 5, an Indigenous woman was found dead in a cell at Silverwater Women’s Prison. She is thought to have taken her own life. Two days later, an Aboriginal man in his 30s died at Ravenhall Correctional Centre in Victoria. Under NSW law, Mr Sullivan’s death during a police pursuit can be considered a death in custody even if he was not under arrest at the time.

“Anzac was a loved brother, nephew, son and uncle. He was loved by many in his community and he will be missed,” said Donna Sullivan, Anzac’s sister.

Mr Sullivan is mourned by Ms Sullivan and his other siblings Elaine, Adrian, Mervyn, Jacqueline and Leslie, as well as extended family. His parents, Cheryl and Brian, are both deceased.

The Aboriginal Legal Service of NSW and ACT is representing Mr Sullivan’s family in the lead up to a coronial inquest.

“Any death in custody is an ­absolute tragedy, and our hearts go out to the Sullivan family and their community. We are devastated and furious that another precious life has been lost,” said Sarah Crellin, the service’s principal solicitor in crime practice.

“For four deaths to occur in the space of a little over a fortnight is a huge red flag that something is ­seriously wrong with police and corrections systems in Australia.

“We are calling for Anzac’s death to be investigated urgently by an independent body, and for this investigation to be transparent and accountable to Anzac’s family and the Broken Hill Aboriginal community.”

Barkindji man Anzac Sullivan.

The rate of Indigenous deaths in custody has more than halved since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, from 0.29 per 100 prisoners to 0.13 per 100 prisoners.

The gross over-representation of Indigenous Australians in police custody and prisons means Indigenous people are far more likely to die in jail than non-Indigenous people.

The most recently published official figures from the Australian Institute of Criminology show there were 89 deaths in custody in the 2018-19 financial year.

Of those, 16 were Indigenous prisoners and 73 non-Indigenous prisoners.

The death rate of Indigenous prisoners was lower than the death rate for non-Indigenous prisoners nationally and in all ­jurisdictions except for Victoria and the Northern Territory.

Ms Crellin said 500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people had died in custody since the royal commission “that was meant to put a stop to these deaths”.