By The Herald’s View
鈥淢r Rolfe was racist, and he worked in and benefited from an organisation with the hallmarks of institutional racism,鈥 Armitage said. 鈥淲hile it was not possible for me to say with certainty that Mr Rolfe鈥檚 racist attitudes were operative in his decisions on 9 November or were a contributing cause of Kumanjayi鈥檚 death, I cannot exclude that possibility. That I cannot exclude that possibility is a tragedy for Kumanjayi鈥檚 family and community, who will always believe that racism played an integral part in his death and is a taint that may stain the NT police.鈥
She warned NT Police should not consider Rolfe the only 鈥渂ad apple鈥 as his racist language and attitudes were found among fellow police in Alice Springs. Further, she condemned the failure of police and health authorities to coordinate movements so that there was no adequate medical care available at Yuendumu to treat Walker as he lay dying. She also made 32 recommendations, including investigating recruitment processes, carrying weapons in communities and strengthening NT Police anti-racism strategies and an investigation into internal NT Police complaints.
The coroner鈥檚 findings are another shameful indication of the Northern Territory鈥檚 deplorable record on imposing law and order.
Nine years ago, the ABC鈥檚 Four Corners program exposed atrocities being enacted on children at Darwin鈥檚 Don Dale youth detention centre, including use of restraint chairs and spit hoods. The resulting national outrage prompted then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull to foist a royal commission onto a recalcitrant NT government. The commission report in 2017 recommended the centre鈥檚 immediate closure. The Darwin administration got around to shifting the children out only last year.
Since the age of 13, Kumanjayi Walker had spent six months each year in some form of custody. Armitage spoke of his history of alcohol and drug abuse. This NAIDOC Week, her findings are another poignant reminder of the disproportionate weight carried by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in dealings with NT Police. This may be a regional tragedy but the Territory government must move decisively to reflect national values.