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By Maureen Baker and Sean Magill PERTH — A ceremony to commemorate the anniversary of the death of John Pat, who died aged 16 in police custody in Roebourne 12 years ago, was held at Fremantle Prison on September 28. John Pat's mother Mavis and aunt Esther were among the 100 people who attended the ceremony, organised by the Deaths in Custody Watch Committee. The WA president of the Aboriginal Legal Service, Ted Wilkes, pointed out that although John Pat died in 1983, it was not until April 1991 that the royal commission's final report was released, and most of its recommendations have still not been implemented. He said families of those who die in custody must not be forgotten and called on the state government to offer compensation. Aboriginal elder Fred Collard commented that in a rich country, Aboriginal people still make up a disproportionate part of the poor. He called for Aboriginal jurors and cross-cultural training for prison officers and police. Aboriginal playwright and Deaths in Custody Watch Committee patron Jack Davis read his poem which is inscribed on the John Pat memorial at Fremantle Prison. Trauma counsellor Gwen Baldini spoke of the tragedy of the family trauma and the need for more counselling services and safer prisons. Elder Ben Taylor, in an emotional speech, recalled the first time he was locked up many years ago with his brother, a returned soldier, after being arrested for being non-citizens in possession of a bottle of wine. He was sentenced to one month's hard labour. Taylor told how his mother, as a youngster, was taken from her tribe and sent to the Moore River settlement. His father had to get permission from the Native Welfare to get married. "We have to get rid of racist cops. I don't want to dwell on the past, but I have grown up bitter. I remember being kicked out of town at 6pm", Taylor said. Mingli Wanjurri-Nungala said there could be no reconciliation without justice. Two police officers attending the ceremony spoke to Mingli afterwards, assuring her that they were doing their best. She told them that half an hour after the newly appointed police commissioner had visited an Aboriginal community on the outskirts of Perth recently, a crowd of police raided the community. An audio tape of the late Mick Lee, John Pat's father, mourning his son was a moving and fitting end to the ceremony.