GLIMMERS OF HOPE FOR TJ HICKEY JUSTICE
On Monday 14 February 2011, the
Hickey Family, ISJA, other Justice-seeking Groups, and concerned Community
members will be holding the 7th Anniversary of the tragic and unnecessary
death of 17 year old TJ Hickey arising from a police chase when TJ was
returning to his Aunt’s residence at Waterloo. TJ became impaled on the spiked
fence at the side of the Taurunga Housing Units in Philip Street, Waterloo
after he was rammed by a police vehicle.
After a torrent
of police lies, collaborative statements by the 4+ police involved, a severely
restricted Coronial Inquest, witnesses and evidence not allowed by the Coroner
to be entered and the Government-appointed legal team for the Hickey Family
that sat on its hands, there is no great surprise that the Redfern police were
exonerated by then State Coroner, John Abernathy, now retired.
In consultation
with Gail Hickey we presented a letter, hand-delivered, to the CEO of the
Aboriginal Housing Company, Mick Mundine. The letter had two purposes, one was
to inform Mick that the TJ rally and march would terminate at The Block, as it
had done in the six years previously, as a matter of courtesy.
The second was
to request of Mick and the AHC that a NSW Deaths in Custody Monument be
incorporated into their Pemulwuy Plan as a visible reminder of all NSW Deaths
in Custody that had occurred since counting began from 1 January 1980. It would
need to be a Monument of some significance to allow all the NSW victims to be
listed.
We had further
asked that the TJ Plaque be attached to the Monument but this has now become unnecessary
as we have learnt from the Sydney Lord Mayor’s office that the Redfern Police
no longer have any objection to the plaque being placed on the fence-line where
TJ was impaled. This change of heart by the Redfern Police has been verbally
confirmed by Superintendent Luke Freudenstein. He will explain this move, among
other matters, when he addresses us at the rally/march on Monday. It is not yet
known whether Luke will participate in the march as other individual police
have done previously.
Lord Mayor Ms.
Clover Moore, through her representatives, has given support to having the
plaque placed on the fence-line.There has also been agreement that her Office
will broker meetings with the Department of Housing for this to happen and will
also seek meetings with the AHC in support for the NSW DIC Monument.
We ardently
thank Lord Mayor Moore for her principled stand on these issues and her courage
in speaking out on behalf of Justice. Sadly, due to prior commitments she will
be unable to attend the rally/march on the 14th.
We have over
the previous weeks invited 10 NSW Politicians to attend the rally/march on the
14th but, to date, only 3 have agreed, 5 have advised that they are
unable to attend whilst the remaining 2 have remained silent on their
availability.
Both Ian Cohen
and David Shoebridge of the NSW Greens agreed with alacrity but Ian has decided
to cede the floor to David. Greens John Kaye has also expressed his full
support but is unsure if he can be there on the day. His presence would be most
welcome.
Shadow Minister
for Aboriginal Affairs, National’s Kevin Humphries, Premier Ms. Kristina
Kennealy and Minister for Redfern-Waterloo, Deputy Premier Ms. Carmel Tebbutt
and LM Ms. Clover Moore have all advised of their unavailability.
So has Ms.
Verity Firth but she also sent a letter of support saying how “pleased (she
was) to see that ISJA has been working with the Redfern Aboriginal community
and the family of TJ to remember his young life and the circumstances of his
death.” She further commended the approach to the AHC for a Monument to those
NSW Aborigines who have died in custody.
We have yet to
hear from the ALP’s Ms. Linda Burney and Paul Lynch who is our Minister for
Aboriginal Affairs.
The seeking of
Justice for Aboriginal Families who have suffered the loss of a loved one
within the Custodial Systems is never easy and I know that Families dating back
to 1980 are still grieving and still asking their unanswered questions. Since 1
January 1980 there has been in excess of 400 Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islanders, nationally, who have died in custody. Whether police, gaols or by
custodial health. The one enduring fault with all those deaths is a total lack
of Duty of Care by the individual officers and their Systems involved in these
deaths.
We must and we
will continue to lobby the Governments and their Systems to put an end to such criminal
acts that leads to the death of our people.
Hopefully the
glimmer of support from the Lord Mayor’s office will begin that process. At
least for the NSW Families, black, white or brindle.
We will gather
at the Taurunga units’ fence line, cnr George and Philips streets, Waterloo,
opposite the Indigenous Centre of Excellence, at 10.30 am, on Monday 14th
February, 2011.
There will be
speakers, followed by a two minute silence at 11.17 am, and further speakers,
if required, thence a march to the Redfern police station via Pitt and
Redfern streets. A further silence will be held at the police station and
speakers again, if required.
We then
cross to the Block for another silence and again more speakers, if required.
I will be
seeking a mark of respect for Ms. Letty Scott who died on this day, the 14th
bFebruary 2009. She and her Family fought for over 20 years for justice on the
murder of her husband, Douglas Bruce Scott, in Berrimah Gaol, NT in 1985. She
succummed to cancer before winning the Justice she fought so hard for.
We urge all to
attend if possible and for notices of support if you cannot. These can be sent
to isja01@internode.on.net
7 YEARS OF
INJUSTICE IS TOO LONG.
Enquires Ray Jackson 0450 651 063 or Raul Bassi 0403 037 376