The ABC has obtained a voice recording of a WA police officer laughing about the suicide of an Aboriginal prisoner. It comes as new data shows the state has the highest rates of Indigenous deaths in custody in Australia.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She signs off the voice not with a giggle, “um, lol”, then sends a follow-up message: “don’t tell anyone that”.<\/p>\n
Premier Roger Cook denounced the officer’s behaviour, and said police should be expected to act “free of any sort of \u2026 uninformed values”.<\/p>\n
“The reports of that behaviour are unacceptable,” he said.<\/p>\n
“We want the police to be there to keep everyone safe and the way they do that is to exemplify the values of the West Australian police force.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Roger Cook said the bahaviour of the police officer was unacceptable. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)<\/p>\n
Opposition corrective services spokesperson Adam Hort shared the premier’s view.<\/p>\n
“The behaviour alleged against this officer, ignoring a suicide threat and then mocking the death of a man in custody, is completely unacceptable,” he said.<\/p>\n
“The community expects the highest standards of our police officers, and while the vast majority do outstanding work, this alleged conduct is nowhere near those standards.”<\/p>\n
WA Police said the constable has been stood aside following the ABC’s enquiry, and an internal investigation is underway.<\/p>\n
Linton Ryan, a Noongar Wongai Adnyamathanha man, was on remand at the time and charged with aggravated assault occasioning bodily harm after a fight with his partner.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Linton Ryan died in his cell at Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison. (ABC News: Cason Ho)<\/p>\n
‘Systemic racism’<\/p>\n
Data compiled by the Australian Institute of Criminology from the past 10 years for the ABC investigation revealed WA has the worst rate of Indigenous deaths in custody, per First Nations capita, of any state or territory.<\/p>\n
The Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody reached the same conclusion in 1991.<\/p>\n
Mr Cook said WA faced “unique challenges” when quizzed about the data.<\/p>\n
“We are working all the time with the Aboriginal community to understand how we can better work together to make WA a more inclusive community which respects Aboriginal culture and identity,” he said.<\/p>\n
“But we understand that, for a whole range of historical and contemporary circumstances, we have more to do, and I am 100 per cent committed to that journey.<\/p>\n
“Over the history of WA you’ve seen a very difficult experience for Aboriginal people that has ongoing repercussions in and across generations.”<\/p>\n
Noongar human rights lawyer Hannah McGlade, and Aboriginal Legal Service of WA director Peter Collins told the ABC “systemic racism” in the state was a significant contributing factor to its rate of Indigenous deaths in custody.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Hannah McGlade was among a number of legal experts who said systemic racism has contributed to WA’s high rate of deaths in custody. (ABC News: Cason Ho)<\/p>\n
Former WA Police superintendent Brian Wilkinson said “covert racism” and an absence of accountability was behind the lack of progress.<\/p>\n
The premier did not directly respond to the comments, but said improvements could be made.<\/p>\n
“We know that we need to continue to make sure that our Aboriginal people feel safe in our justice system,” Mr Cook said.<\/p>\n
“There’s a lot more work that needs to be done and this continues to be part of the work that the police and our Department of Corrections do day in, day out.”<\/p>\n
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