k . bullimore
Tue, 15 Feb 2000 22:55:38 -0800
Teen orphan on mandatory sentence found hanged in jail > > Source: AAP | Published: Thursday February 10, 5:16 PM > > A 15-year-old Aboriginal boy nearing the end of a 28-day jail term today > became the first person to die in custody while serving a mandatory > sentence in the Northern Territory. > > The Groote Eylandt orphan was found unconscious with a bed sheet around his > neck in his room at Darwin's Don Dale juvenile detention centre at 6.30pm > last night, NT Correctional Services Minister Daryl Manzie said. > > He did not regain consciousness and died in hospital at 3.12am today. > > 'We believe this is the first death under a mandatory sentence,' a > spokesman for Mr Manzie said. > > Under the NT's mandatory controversial sentencing regime, which targets > property offences, juveniles aged 15 or 16 face 28 days in jail or > diversionary programs for a second property crime. > > The dead boy had been found guilty of breaking into the Anurugu Community > Council offices on Groote Eylandt and stealing pens, pencils and texts > worth $50 last November. > > He was also convicted of breaking into the local primary school and > stealing oil and paint worth $40 and of being with people who broke five > glass louvres worth $50. > > A government spokesman said the boy was just five days away from ending his > 28-day sentence yesterday when he was sent to his single room for 15 > minutes for refusing to help clean up after a meal. > > He was left in the room with the door unlocked and was discovered > unconscious five minutes later, the spokesman said. > > Territory coroner Greg Cavanagh today ordered a coronial investigation into > the death while the NT government said there were no suspicious circumstances. > > However, director for the Miwatj Aboriginal Legal Service Selwyn Hausman > said he had been concerned about the boy as recently as last week when he > visited him in jail. > > 'He was still distressed,' Mr Hausman said. > > Mr Hausman claimed the juvenile's offence would probably not have involved > a prison sentence if the controversial 1997 laws, currently subject to a > Senate inquiry, did not exist. > > 'Within the context of the communities, they (the offences) are annoying, > but not something to go to jail for.' > > Mr Hausman said the boy's parents had died. > > 'He was in a situation where he was at loose ends within the community,' he > said. > > The news of the death was met with public outcry, with the territory's ALP > opposition calling it an evil law which must be repealed. > > Law Society president Jon Tippett said: 'Today is a day of shame for all > Territorians. > > 'We stand in breach of our international obligations at law and we stand in > breach of our obligation to children.' > > Greens Senator Bob Brown, who introduced a bill to the Senate to override > mandatory sentences for juveniles in the NT, called for Prime Minister John > Howard to intervene and back his bill. > > ************************************************************************* > This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without > permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, > scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal > copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of > the copyright owner, except for "fair use." > > > > > > > -- > > Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html > > Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop > Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink > Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink > > > --- from list [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---