Partner of woman who died in custody ‘shut out’ from investigation

THE partner of an aboriginal woman who died in custody in WA has accused authorities of shutting him out of the investigation.

THE partner of a young Aboriginal woman who last month died in custody in Western Australia has ­accused authorities of shutting him out of the investigation into her death.

Dion Ruffin, 39, was the de facto partner and senior next-of-kin of Julieka Dhu, 22 who died in August after being held over three days in the South Hedland police watch-house for $1000 in unpaid fines.

Mr Ruffin was arrested along with his partner and locked-up with another Aboriginal man, Malcolm Dick Wilson, 61, in the cell beside Dhu.

Both men have told The Australian that Dhu was in worsening pain and begging for help from police during the entire time she was in the lockup.

She was twice taken to a local hospital, South Hedland Health Campus, and deemed medically fit to be held in custody despite allegedly not seeing a doctor.

Mr Ruffin was last month given a copy of interim autopsy report that was unable to determine a cause of death. Mr Ruffin, who is preparing a written statement to police, said authorities had since refused to give him any more information after he went public with his allegations of the mistreatment of Dhu by police and health workers.

“They are now telling me nothing, just giving me the run around,’’ he said. “The coroner’s office had recognised me as the senior next- of-kin and they won’t keep me informed.

“They have told me that the tests results may not come back for six months.’’

A police spokesman declined to comment beyond the initial public statement that announced Dhu’s death and confirmed she had been taken to the hospital.

Speaking from Roebourne Regional Prison’s work camp, where he is serving a 12-month sentence for driving offences, Wilson corroborated Mr Ruffin’s account of her treatment in the lockup.

Last month, the WA Country Health Service declined to say if she saw a doctor on either of the earlier hospital visits.

The service also did not reveal details about why the hospital handed her back to police twice in the 48 hours before she died.