🔗 Share this article

The tally of Indigenous people dying while in detention in Australia has reached its record point since records started in 1980.

Fresh figures indicate that 33 of the 113 people who passed away in detention in the 12-month period ending in June were Indigenous. This marks an uptick from 24 fatalities in the previous corresponding period.

Indigenous Australian people are severely overrepresented in the justice system. They constitute more than one-third of all incarcerated individuals, even though comprising less than four per cent of the national population.

These sobering numbers emerge over three decades after a seminal inquiry into Indigenous deaths in custody, which made numerous of recommendations.

Breakdown of the Recent Statistics

Of the 33 Indigenous deaths in custody logged between last July and this June, twenty-six took place while in prison custody, which is an rise from 18 in the prior year.

One death occurred in youth detention, and the vast majority of the individuals were men.

The remaining six deaths happened in police custody, defined as a situation where someone dies while police are detaining them.

The primary cause of Indigenous deaths was classified as "self-harm," with "illness." The report found that hanging was the cause in eight of the cases.

State-by-State Breakdown

The Australian state of New South Wales recorded the highest number of Aboriginal deaths in correctional facilities with nine, followed by Western Australia with six. Queensland, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory all recorded three deaths.

The growing number of Indigenous deaths in custody in New South Wales is a "deeply distressing milestone," the state's chief medical examiner has remarked.

In a recent statement, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan emphasised that this upward pattern was not "mere statistics" and that these deaths demanded "independent and careful scrutiny, dignity and accountability."

Demographic Details and Expert Reaction

The average age of those who died was 45 years, and 11 of the deceased were awaiting a court sentencing.

A criminal law expert, Amanda Porter, characterised the figures as reflecting a "country-wide emergency" that needs "leadership and government action."

Ms. Porter, who has attended multiple official inquiries with grieving families, said little has improved since the 1991 royal commission that was established to address this crisis.

"It's heartbreaking to see the number of investigations I attend, the number memorials families have to attend, and the fact that we are three decades after the inquiry, and the problem is getting increasingly worse," she commented.

Since the royal commission, a total of 600 Indigenous people have died in custody, which includes six in juvenile detention centers, as per the findings.