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Aboriginals of Australia: Amnesty International report 2004 |
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Wednesday, 26 May 2004 |
Domestic violence against Aboriginal women and children and indefinite detention
of child asylum-seekers were prominent themes in the domestic human rights debate.
According to a 20-year study conducted by Australian universities, one in four
women aged between 18 and 23 reported some experience of domestic violence. In
October, public concern about even higher rates of indigenous victims of domestic
violence led the Prime Minister to initiate a consultation process with Aboriginal
women's leaders.
In February, a Northern Territory coroner's inquest report criticized police
for releasing an Aboriginal victim of domestic violence into the care of her
de facto husband in October 2001. The woman died from her injuries after the
husband beat her again as soon as the officers had left.
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Deaths in custody of indigenous and non-indigenous prisoners fell to the lowest
level for 10 years, with the exception of Western Australia. In April, the Western
Australia government directed the state's independent prison inspector to review
its largest prison because of concerns over deaths in custody, including suicides
by teenage Aboriginal prisoners awaiting trial.
In February, the family of Stephen Wardle, who died in 1988 aged 18 in a police
cell in disputed circumstances, accepted an apology by a police officer during
a Royal Commission inquiry into the Western Australia Police Service which investigated
Stephen Wardle's death.
Source: Amnesty International |
