Australian Human Rights Commission Media Release
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Katie Kiss, says the coronial findings into the death of Kumanjayi Walker in police custody are a painful, but powerful reminder of the urgent need for sweeping reform across police and justice systems to fully address ongoing injustices against First Peoples.
Kumanjayi Walker, a Walpiri-Luritja man from Yuendumu, north-west of Alice Springs, was 19-year-old when he was shot dead by a Northern Territory police officer during an attempted arrest in 2019. The officer in question was found not guilty of all charges related to the death in 2022.
However, the coronial inquiry exposed deeply disturbing allegations of systemic racism within NT Police, and a culture of excessive force and impunity. In delivering her 600 pages of findings, Coroner Elisabeth Armitage condemned the “grotesque examples of racism” that were “normalised” by the Territory police force, saying she could not rule out racism as a factor in Kumanjayi Walker’s “avoidable” death.
“This has been a slow, painful six years towards something that will never deliver complete justice for Kumanjayi Walker or the Yuendumu community,” Commissioner Kiss said.
“My heart continues to break for them, and all First Peoples families suffering over the national shame which is Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander deaths in custody. As the coroner said emphatically, this death should not have happened.
“Kumanjayi was a loving and much-loved young man, who was failed by our justice system even before the night of his death. His history of trauma and intellectual disability were not adequately addressed during his time in detention. As the coroner found, his wellbeing was not prioritised by the officer who killed him.
“Racism is running rife in our institutions, and it lies at the heart of these shocking injustices. But today marks a powerful moment. These findings, delivered on the lands of Yuendumu People – Kumanjayi Walker’s People – not only outline who, and what, is to blame, but offer a clear pathway for reform.
“Like the coroner, I sincerely hope these findings will help prevent further tragedies.”
Since the start of 2025, there have been 13 Aboriginal deaths in custody. This includes the May death of another Walpiri man, Kumanjayi White, who died after being restrained by police at an Alice Springs supermarket. The national total now approaches 600 deaths since the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (RCIADIC).
Despite RCIADIC’s landmark recommendations, Commissioner Kiss says governments have failed to implement many of its key reforms, particularly around police training, community policing, and the use of force.
“Our governments must respond in a genuine way to the commitments they have undertaken to meet Closing the Gap targets,” Commissioner Kiss said.
“We must urgently shift our focus to prevention, because the best way to stop our people from dying in custody is to stop them from being drawn into a system that has failed them from the very beginning.”
Commissioner Kiss echoed calls by the Justice 4 Walker campaign, formed by Mr Walker’s family and community, for police accountability, divestment from punitive policing, and investment in culturally safe, community-led alternatives. This includes the need for independent oversight bodies, ending the practice of police routinely carrying guns in communities, and the reinstatement of Warlpiri cultural authority and governance. Many of the coroner’s 32 recommendations, at least in part, align with these calls.
Commissioner Kiss also called on the NT Government to reinstate its racism review into police, and for Australian governments to establish independent police complaints ombudsmen in all jurisdictions. She said that in order to ensure the full implementation of the RCIADIC recommendations, the Federal Government should re-establish a national body, similar to what existed under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission.
“Without an evidence – and human rights-based approach to justice and corrections, the unacceptable over-representation of our peoples in custody, and dying in custody, will remain a national shame. Today’s findings must be the final alarm. This must end.”
Dear reader, we need your support
Independent sites such as The AIMN provide a platform for public interest journalists. From its humble beginning in January 2013, The AIMN has grown into one of the most trusted and popular independent media organisations.
One of the reasons we have succeeded has been due to the support we receive from our readers through their financial contributions.
With increasing costs to maintain The AIMN, we need this continued support.
Your donation – large or small – to help with the running costs of this site will be greatly appreciated.
You can donate through PayPal or credit card via the button below, or donate via bank transfer: BSB: 062500; A/c no: 10495969
I note the coroner spoke of “allegations of racism”, not proof? Our legal system is not perfect, but I’d prefer to face court here, than any other country.
jonangel:
It’s hard to get legal proof when the racists investigate – and exonerate – themselves.
Maybe Leefe, you should investigate yourself, methinks, there is a little racism in all of us?
Michael Taylor: Sadly experience suggests that along with all the previous 30+ years of conclusions, the racist paid officers of the NT GOVERNMENT WILL MANAGE TO DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the social conditions presently impacting the lives of Aboriginal communities. 😡
Even my good mate Blind Freddie can see that Australian government(s) impose and operate racist policies that are deliberately detrimental to the Aboriginal community. The Voice Referendum resulting LOSS surely demonstrated that the majority of voters very clearly support such racist policies, especially when the Murdoch Media Manipulation Monopoly promotes racism in all its ugly forms.
The first sign of a change will come when a police person is convicted on murder or manslaughter for an Aboriginal ”Death in Custody”. But DO NOT HOLD YOUR BREATH because it took 50 years for the first arrest and conviction of a ”White Man” for killing a ”Black Man” in NSW in 1838.
New England Cocky, perhaps you’d like to highlight some examples of “government imposed racist policies”, as I fail to see any.
My failure, is the fact that I see a person as being Australian or not?
So what are you?
Take a walk through any regional prison, jonangel, or sit in the visitors area in any court room in regional Australia, visit a watch house at any police station.
My failure, is the fact that I see a person as being Australian or not?
“I don’t see colour.”
You need to. Colonisation of this land was done on the basis of colour: “they’re black, we aren’t, we are superior, we’re taking what we want”. The entire structure of our laws and governance – from the Constitution on – has a foundation of racism. Laws being written without a direct reference to colour doesn’t mean that that is how they are applied, or how they are intended to be used. And the results of laws that were written and applied on the basis of colour are still with us.
Until we remove those intergenerational impacts, and prevent future impact from the uneven application of laws, we cannot ignore colour.
Whether we ourselves have a bias is irrelevant; we benefit from biased laws and the biased application of laws. White privilege is real and all of us who are not BIPOC benefit from it.
Australians have an unique racism against Aboriginal people. It is endemic to our ‘society’ and it is the first thing immigrants learn.
In my 60 years NT experience, all male dominant groups are both racist and sexist. Women, in the workforce join them or just put up with it or leave.
The NT police are usually from racist families or from the armed forces. Any quiet look at an army site will confirm it is male dominated. QED All police recruitment practices must include a racism assessment. Such a program would be useful before standing for election.
ps
Leefe, in 1967, 500000 Australians voted NO for Aboriginal people to be counted as Australians??
56 years later 60% said no to Aboriginal input to pollies laws that only apply to Aboriginal people.
A lovely sensitive Aboriginal man was booed out of his employment
Historically, if an Aboriginal man/woman, accompanied by a white person, goes into any public service office and speaks to an officer, she/he, without knowing why, will not answer the Aboriginal but will address comments to the white.
Leefe, I am intrigued, why have you brought “colour” into this discussion? Do you think it lends some strength to your view?
I am sorry you see “racism” all around you, fortunately I don’t.
The simple fact is, I don’t know of any country that hasn’t been colonised and if you believe in intergenerational trauma, then it is likely most of our world suffers from it.
jonangle:
I can’t explain it any more simply than I have. If you don’t understand, it’s because you don’t want to. The reality of discrimination is all around you.
jonangel, read Stan Grant’s story here —
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-19/stan-grant-media-target-racist-abuse-coronation-coverage-enough/102368652
Stan Grant wouldn’t be biased, would he?
Leefe, “Discrimination” and what most people see as “racism” aren’t the same thing,
Yes, I see bigotry and ignorance every day, but allowing for the DNA amalgamation, “racism” doesn’t exist.
“Stan Grant wouldn’t be biased, would he?”
There’s really not much that can be said in response to that, other than “Dear oh dear”.
Well you could answer the question, or do you doubt Stan?
Why would I doubt Stan?
When jonangel says, in discussing an article about injustices against First Peoples, why have you brought “colour” into this discussion? what he’s actually saying is “Why are you making my defend my bias?”
When he says of inter-generational trauma “then it is likely most of our world suffers from it” what he’s actually saying is “yeah, so what? Get over it.”
When he says “Yes, I see bigotry and ignorance every day, but allowing for the DNA amalgamation, “racism” doesn’t exist” I don’t have a clue what he’s talking about, but it has a stink of coded racism about it that would be well understood in certain circles.
From the Australian Human Rights Commission — “Racism seeps into almost every aspect of people’s lives, and in ways that have become so normalised that victims don’t feel they can talk about it and decide to ‘learn to live with it’. Everyday racism is hidden in plain sight.”
Its odd how a recent attack was met by strong calls against antisemitism, and cries wondering why there is such intolerance. Yet somehow there is no intellectual link of such intolerance with the court ruling of the murder of 15yr old Cassius Turvey as a racist attack, and the latest coronial report that racism within the NT police and Zachary Rolfe led to Kumanjayi Walker’s death by cop.
Colonialism was based on racism, racism in Australia is pervasive as it enables bigots to justify the unjustifiable.
Steve, the fact that you see “racism” all around you deserves my sympathy, which I give you willingly.
The simple fact is, there is only one race and that’s the human race.
jonangel:
People use their perceptions of race as fuel for bias, bigotry and discrimination. You accept that those three things exist, but you refuse to accept the force that drives them.
Race not being real is irrelevant when people who believe it is use it to decide who is superior.
jonangel, you’re out on a lonely limb here, at odds with common consensus. This site periodically attracted another nong who would also argue for the truth of his interpretation of the meaning of words, pedantically insisting on the correctness of his understanding and stubbornly refusing to honour the widespread agreement as to lexical terms and their usage.
Per your position re. ‘race’ and ‘racism,’ two words that have been worked over at depth for generations, you may well be correct that there’s a single species, Homo sapiens, but aside from genotype there’s also phenotype, and just as Canis familiaris is a single species, with around 350 recognised breeds, so it is with H. sapiens, one species, around 40 phenotypes described, with close to 200 at more detailed levels of description.
Given most of the planet’s people aren’t concerned about these details, and given the propensity for herd behaviour and belief, it’s unsurprising that there’s widespread conviction about the reality of different races of people. White skins will argue that black, brown, tan, yellow or other hues are self-evidently different races. The non-white skins would agree, with regards to white or other colours. There’s little to no upside to maintaining that we’re all H. sapiens… there’s likely no evidence anywhere that suggest that that argument has been used successfully in situations of conflict between different coloured skinned peoples.
You might posit this as a ‘simple fact’… you might also benefit from a deeper consideration of the nuances at play re. language, social conditioning, hierarchies of power, along with such historical elements as colonialism & subjugation.
Leefe, at last you’ve got it!! Racism is a “perception” it doesn’t exist.
It is said, the more you tell a lie, the sooner it is accepted as fact. What you are trying to tell me, is if it’s all wrong, it’s alright, sorry, I don’t by that.
jonangel, I don’t mean to be rude, but you’re idiotic.
Roswell, you are not “rude”, just childish, but you’ll grow up in time, I hope.
jonaqngel:
Racism is behaviour, which does exist. It is based on a perception of variations which – despite what you want to think – also have objective reality. Don’t twist what I said to suit your own blinkered agenda.
Leefe, I cannot help what you say, but the term “race” has no meaning when used in relation to ethnicity. You may be a bigot and ignorant, but your not “racist”.
Jonangel is dodging the issues here by refusing to engage with comments on his position.
To leefe’s comment that racism is a behaviour based on perceptions, his response was the term “race” has no meaning when used in relation to ethnicity.
But leefe had not used the term “race”.
Race and racism are two very different things, as leefe explained.
It’s clear from jonangel’s smug declarations of sympathy for the misperceptions of other commenters that he wants to project an image of him being in control of the discussion, but all that he’s achieved to this point is to demonstrate that he has a race problem.
Is jonangel a racist hiding behind semantics?
Only he knows.
But his dismissal of the experience of Stan Grant is indicative.
His lack of comment on the Human Rights Commission statement that “Racism seeps into almost every aspect of people’s lives” is indicative.
His turning an issue that is so hurtful to so many into an argument over semantics is indicative.
But jonangel does not like the term “racist”.
So I’ll use terms that he’s comfortable with.
In his own words — jonangel, You may be a bigot and ignorant, but you’re not “racist”.
Thank you for paraphrasing me, can’t you come up with comment of your own? The fact that you obviously cannot follow the flow of this, both “race” and “racism” having been used says much for your abilities.
How about paraphrasing Shakespeare?: the commenter doth protest too much, methinks.
Lovely to wake up to hear the pitter-patter of the little troll feet skimping across these pages… such a rarity, not seen often even though they’re not an endangered species but just that this isn’t their usual habitat.
The usual advice stands: Don’t feed the trolls.
Hey Kanga, you’re right, not their usual habitat, but I must soldier on!
The word “race” was first used here by jonangel.
The word is not used in the article.
Race was never “the flow” of this discussion as claimed.
All the previous comments were about racism, a very real phenomenon, the existence of which he cannot accept.
The word “colour” was used, so I wait in eager anticipation of a statement that colour does not exist.
Race was introduced to push to the side the racism that was the subject under discussion. Why do this?
Because the existence of racism is something he cannot contest.
Race does not exist, so racism cannot exist?
That’s bigotry and ignorance right there.
Jonangel seems to have accepted without protest the proposition that he is operating on the basis of bigotry and ignorance.
That tells a story in itself.
It’s a feature of those who are racists, or bigots, or ignorant, that in a world that has been changed forever by social media, these people, instead of cowering in a corner afraid to speak, or mixing only with those of similar outlook, now proudly proclaim their racism and their bigotry and their ignorance to the world.
Great cartoon by Fiona Katauskas in the Guardian today — an indigenous mum holds up a newspaper headline — CORONER: Structural Racism in NT Police
A white Dad walks by, blandly says to his daughter — Truth telling is all very well, but truth denying is an essential part of our nation’s history.
You seem to know a lot about “trolls’!! Are they relatives?
Steve, I like your latest contribution, it seems you have taken to self analysis and that is good for you. Keep it up, look into the mirror every morning.
Very good Leefe, I like Shakespeare’s work as well, seeing as he wrote this many years ago, suggests he knew what wa coming?
jonangel:
He was an astute observer and chronicler of human frailties, including the hypocrisy of trying to deflect others from reality and one’s own guilt or complicity. Prescience was not necessary.
Of course, another feature of the online bigot is that when confronted by evidence for their bigotry, it’s like water off a duck’s back.
They do not care.
They are used to it.
They know they are bigots, but they accept it.
A non-bigot would be outraged by an accusation of bigotry, but I see no outrage here. There’s no longer even an attempt to justify the bigotry.
I think we can reasonably say — case closed.
Steve D., and others, there is a dickpolishing devil here, enjoying the glow of an unfettered egofixated warmth, imaginary, inflexible.
Once again Steve you miss the point, I see no evidence of your assertion, I also have not seen any evidence claimed by you of ‘racism”. I’d love to front you on a one to one basis before a live audience, something I’d enjoy.
Sadly, I think you are a product of the mass media.
Welcome to the debate Phil, please tell, do you also write on toilet walls?
Sadly, you have failed to add anything of value in support of your mates.
I write jonangel on toilet walls. Someone awaits.., (disappointment.)
Racism is rife in this country. End of argument.
It is so sad that Australians will not accept your truth, Michael.
Jonangel is the typical Australian hidden racist.
Millions of us are not cognizant of the basic fact that a religious zealot can take off the trappings of the religion to be anonymous but an Aboriginal is always an Aboriginal.
A white man digresses as an individual but an Aboriginal person’s error bears the title ‘they’ and the whole race is responsible.
Australian children hear about Aboriginal people in the classroom, in the yard, at the sports ground where their prejudice is reinforced daily. Especially, on the tv, where dozens of positive stories of Aboriginal success are supplanted by a real or nearly real negative story that the media outlet thinks may attract adverts.
ps
Perhaps the pope was wrong it is not Jonangel but Jonangle???