Second autopsy for Palm Islander
30.11.2004
THE family of Cameron Doomadgee, who died in a police cell on Queensland's troubled Palm Island, have delayed his funeral to allow a second, independent autopsy.
The family wants to challenge the finding of a Queensland government pathologist that Doomadgee's four broken ribs, punctured liver and ruptured spleen were consistent with a ``fall'' on concrete steps in Palm Island police station on November 19.
Family spokesman Brad Foster said it was ``highly suspicious'' that anybody could assert Doomadgee's death was ``accidental''.
``An independent autopsy has to be done by a pathologist of our choosing, not one appointed by the Queensland Government,'' he said.
The decision to delay the funeral came as 15 Palm Island Aborigines facing riot, arson and assault charges were remanded in custody in Townsville.
The riot erupted last Friday after the extent of Doomadgee's injuries were revealed at a public meeting.
Outside court yesterday, upset supporters of the accused men took turns addressing an angry rally. Some carried placards reading ``Police Service: Murderers and Liars''.
One woman said the Palm Island community considered the accused men to be warriors.
``They stood up for their rights,'' she said. ``To us they are like warriors.''
Inside the court, Magistrate David Glasgow said he could not consider bail because it was too dangerous to send the accused back to Palm Island. ``I'm unlikely to grant bail to anybody who participated in the riot,'' Mr Glasgow said.
``There's a state of emergency over there, I have got to be reasonable.''
Aboriginal legal aid solicitor Kevin Rose immediately called for his clients to be placed on suicide watch, saying ``several'' were severely depressed.
The men would seek temporary release to attend Doomadgee's funeral once a date had been set, Mr Rose said.
Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson said last night the alleged rioters should not be allowed to attend the funeral because they would pose a
threat to community safety. ``If anybody asked me, my advice would be not to have them attend,'' Mr Atkinson said.
Two more Palm Islanders were arrested yesterday and will appear in court today.
Mr Atkinson said while there was still a big police presence on Palm Island, police numbers had been reduced since the weekend.
He also said officers would soon move out of the local state school and hand it back to students.
``We hope to vacate the school in the next day or so and return it to the Education Department,'' he said.
Following the strong criticism of the police response to the riot -- which included officers in full riot gear pointing guns at children and ordering them to lie face-down on the ground -- police are now revisiting many of the houses they stormed and asking residents about their concerns in tape-recorded interviews.
Palm Island's 250 state school children will resume an education of sorts today but they will share classroom space with the police -- including the Tactical Response Group -- who have turned some buildings into a command post.
State Education Minister Anna Bligh confirmed 14 of the 17 teachers would be available to supervise and teach. The other three felt too traumatised by last week's riot and would not be returning.
Aboriginal activist Murrandoo Yanner, a relative of Mr Doomadgee, called on the Queensland Government to drop all charges against the alleged rioters as a goodwill gesture to the dead man's family. ``They are yet to make any gesture towards the family of the deceased -- a man we believe to be murdered by the police,'' Mr Yanner told ABC radio yesterday.
The Queensland Police Union launched an appeal yesterday for the police who lost personal property in the riots.
The union's acting president, Denis Fitzpatrick, said two families had lost everything they owned, including motor vehicles.
He said their insurance policies did not cover riots.
Mr Fitzpatrick defended the armed police in riot gear who had frightened women, children and elderly people when they stormed homes searching for suspects over the weekend.
``If these offenders seek to hide with the children and hide with elderly members of this community, rather than surrender themselves into police custody, this is the situation which will confront all our members on the island.''
