The death of John Pat, in the western Pilbara town of Roebourne in Western Australia on the night of September 28, 1983, sparked the Aboriginal deaths in custody campaign. This year's commemorative march in Sydney, on September 28, will focus on the ongoing deaths in custody, the breakdown of native title legislation, the Coalition government's attacks on ATSIC and its destruction of Aboriginal self-determination.
John Pat was locked up after trying to help his friends outside the Roebourne pub, who were being bashed by some drunken off-duty police. Unable to walk, Pat was dragged into the police station along with other arrested Aboriginal people. He did not receive any medical attention.
The forensic pathologist found that Pat had died of a brain haemorrhage; he had received 10 blows to the face and had a large bruise on the back of his neck. As well, he had two broken ribs and a torn aorta.
Seven months later an all-white jury acquitted five police officers charged with manslaughter. This was despite 57 witnesses who described to the jury how the drunk police officers had provoked the fight, arrested Aboriginal people and then systematically bashed them up at the police lockup.
Because Pat's death was not an isolated case, a campaign was begun which led, in 1987, to the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. The main recommendation of the interim report, released in December 1988, is that "Governments [should] enforce the principle that imprisonment be utilised only as a sanction of last resort". This was reinforced by the commission's final report.
However, since 1989 there has been a rise in the number of deaths in custody. There have been 105 Aboriginal deaths in custody nationally; of those, 31 have taken place in NSW. The number of Aboriginal people who have committed suicide in prison in the last six years has increased by 50%.
The Aboriginal Deaths in Custody Watch Committee is urging people to join the march and rally which begins at 11am at Sydney Town Hall Square and marches to Redfern Park. Speakers include Kerry Reed Gilbert, Wendy Brady, Tim Anderson, Barbara Nicholson, Col Markham, Terry Widders, Arthur and Leila Murray. Phone 9264 9895 for more information.