Black lives matter in our country too

Published  5 June 2020

Anti-Discrimination NSW is calling for more action to ensure that there is no mistreatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the justice system, amid the recent incident that left an Indigenous teenager injured during an arrest in Sydney.

President of Anti-Discrimination NSW the Honourable Dr Annabelle Bennett AC SC said she was concerned to see footage of the incident that showed the violent treatment of a minor at the hands of a police officer. 

“I praise the NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller for his quick response in calling for a review of procedures and an internal police investigation into this incident by the Professional Standards Command.”

“My organisation and the communities we serve are anxious and concerned. In light of the civil unrest in the United States and international outrage sparked by the shocking death of Black American man George Floyd, the people of NSW want to know that police brutality is not going unchecked in their own backyard.”

“I would like to express my deep condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones in custody, and have been traumatised by the news coming out of the United States.

Dr Bennett said that the events in America are a confronting reminder of over-policing and the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Australian justice system. ”

“Anti-Discrimination NSW supports the Australian Human Rights Commission’s calls for the recommendations of the Australian Law Reform Commission’s 2018 report, Pathways to Justice, to be fully implemented.”

“We need to ensure that people have trust in our justice system, and that incidents of police brutality and abuse of power are thoroughly investigated and adequately punished by the law,” Dr Bennett said.

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