Kathy Newnam, Darwin
On June 18, the Northern Territory Supreme Court will hear an appeal to re-open the coronial inquest into the death in custody of Douglas Bruce Scott. The case has been lodged by his widow Letty Scott, who has been fighting for nearly two decades for the truth about her husband's death.
Scott died in Darwin's Berrimah jail on July 5, 1985. He was 26 years old, and was being remanded in custody on a charge of "indecent language". The remand warrant was unlawful, as it allowed for the incarceration of Scott for 60 days — four times longer than the legal period at the time. Despite this, the commissioner's report found that he was in lawful custody at the time of his death.
Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, the police inquest, along with the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, ruled Scott's death to be suicide.
Letty Scott's appeal for the reopening of the case follows the findings of a report by leading British pathologist Guy Rutty.
Rutty told the NT News on April 26: "I do agree that considering the age of the deceased and the findings that are present in the scene and autopsy examination, particularly to the neck, that it does raise a suspicion that this may not be what it appears."
This finding was consistent with a previous report by a group of leading forensic scientists, commissioned by Letty Scott with the help of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation of America. The report, released in 2000, found that the marks on his neck were "more consistent with manual neck compression than with hanging mechanisms". This report also found that there was a large amount of evidence that was not considered in the investigations into Scott's death.
Fellow prisoners have also made sworn statements that prison guards beat Douglas during his time in prison, including on the night of his death.
According to Letty Scott, "The truth has its way of rising to the surface and the world will know that Douglas was murdered and the international scientists will come into Australia and exhume Douglas' remains".
Ray Jackson of the Indigenous Social Justice Association is applying to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services to provide the funds for the exhumation and re-autopsy.
Supporters of social justice are encouraged to attend the court hearing on June 18. Phone Mick Lambe for more information on 0408 893 142 or email <pariahnt@yahoo.com>.
From Â鶹´«Ã½ Weekly, May 26, 2004.
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