Family seeks inquest closure

A year after a 22-year-old Geraldton woman died in police custody, her family has been told a coronial inquest into her death will start in November.

Yamaji woman Ms Dhu (who is so named for cultural reasons) died on August 4, 2014 in Port Hedland after spending three days in custody for almost $1000-worth of unpaid fines, just one day before her mother’s birthday.

In April this year the family was told by Pilbara Regional medical director Phillip Montgomery Ms Dhu told police she felt unwell on her first two days in custody and was taken to hospital on both occasions.

Medical staff issued certificates stating Ms Dhu was fit to return to custody.

She told officers she was feeling unwell again on her third day in custody and was taken to Hedland Health Campus where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

Ms Dhu’s grandmother, Carol Roe, was told by the Coroner’s office a coronial inquest into her granddaughter’s death would start on November 23 this year, and would run for a minimum of two weeks.

Ms Dhu’s mother, Della Roe, said she understood the coronial inquest would be difficult, but hoped it would shine light on the circumstances surrounding her daughter’s death.

“Some days I don’t want to do this but I’ve got another five children that need answers to those questions,” she said.

“Most of all I need to get justice for my daughter and the rest of the families who lost loved ones to deaths in custody.

“There’s nothing they can do to bring her back but I hope we’ll get the truth, I hope we’ll know what really happened.”

According to the Deaths in Custody Watch Committee there have been three deaths in custody since Ms Dhu, one as recently as June in Bandyup Women’s Prison.

Ms Dhu’s uncle, Sean Harris, said though the announcement of the inquest was a small victory for the family, their loved one was still gone.

“(Ms Dhu) was one death too many,” he said.

“We want truth, justice, accountability and conviction. With conviction we will get closure.”

For the past year, the Deaths in Custody Watch Committee has been rallying for support to push for a coronial inquest.

Committee chairperson Marc Newhouse said the campaign had been significant in pushing the inquest forward.

“In the experience of the watch committee, a coronial inquest into a death in custody can take upwards of two years to get started,” he said.

“There’s no doubt the watch committee’s campaigning has influenced the decision to have the coronial inquest sooner rather than later.

“But further to that it has definitely had an impact on government making changes to reduce the number of Aboriginal people getting caught up in the system.”

A spokeswoman for the Coroner’s office said she couldn’t confirm the date of the inquest’s commencement, but the office would make an announcement soon.

Ms Dhu’s case is listed for a call-over this Friday at 2.15pm.

A call-over hearing will usually see the court set the start date of an inquest.

WA Coroner’s Court guidelines state that matters mentioned for the first time at a call-over are expected to set down for hearing no sooner than three months after the initial call-over date, unless an expedited timeframe has been agreed between the court and “interested parties”.

Rallies for the anniversary of Ms Dhu’s death were held around the country today to honour the memory of the young woman.

About 50 turned out for the rally in Geraldton.