Memorial Vigil for Mulrunji (Cameron Doomadgee), Queen's Park, Brisbane, 2005.
Who was Mulrunji ?
Mulrunji was only 36 years old, a traditional Waanyi man named Cameron Doomadgee. Mulrunji was a family man, the loving & proud father of 16 year old Eric and loyal & caring husband to Tracy. Tracy speaks of having a very strong bond and a deeply caring relationship with Mulrunji. They lived a quiet and traditional life on the Island. Tracy holding back tears said to me he was a good man, a traditional Waanyi man we are very close we had a good relationship he looked after me very well. I miss him, miss him a lot.”
Mulrunji was a traditional Waanyi man is the truest sense, a keen & competent fisherman who loved to take Eric and Eric’s young friends & relatives fishing to teach them the ways of the old people, the ancestral and traditional ways. As a Waanyi man Cameron was proud of his cultural heritage, his cultural & spiritual identity was directly linked to his connectedness to the sea and land. His family and friends state, "He was a hunter & gatherer a traditional man”.
Mulrunji worked for the Palm Island Aboriginal Council (PIAC). He was also known as a valued hard working member of the Palm Island Council Development & Employment Project work force. Up to the day of his arrest he had never been in trouble with the law and had no criminal record. Elder Erykah Kyle and chairwoman of the PIAC said of Mulrunji's death "we have lost a very valuable member of our community, one of our best young men, a very good traditional man”. In a press release in reference to Mulrunji's character and personality he was described as one of the community's beautiful young men” (www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems, ABC News Online, 4/05/05)
Mulrunji's mother Ms Doris Doomadgee, a Palm Island Elder was battling cancer in the Palm Island Hospital at the time of hisdeath and was too ill to attend her son’s funeral sending a letter to be read at the funeral service instead. The letter spoke of her deep grief and loss of such a loving and supportive son & concluded with these words: "I will join you soon my dear son”. Doris passed away one week later and so on the eve of Christmas 16 year old Eric had lost his father and mentor while contending with the anxiety & stress of his grandmother’s illness and inevitably her passing. All this pain and suffering because of the brutal actions & racial hatred of two out of control police officers.
Mulrunji's cousin Alec is a respected 4AAA Murri radio announcer in Brisbane, a gentle but strong and proud traditional man a keen hunter & a true “warrior”. Another cousin of Cameron’s is Murrandoo Yanner a strong, softly spoken, but assertive and articulate Gungalidda activist & traditional man.
SEPT 2006 CORONER's REPORT SMALL CONSOLATION
The Coroner’s report was handed down today Wednesday the 27th September 2006.
The Coroner Christine Clements found in favour of the Doomadgee family & Palm Island Community, stating Mulrunji should never have been arrested & found that Mulrunji was hit by Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley after Mulrunji's arrest, and died from the injuries resulting from Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley’s sustained attack upon him.
Coroner Christine Clements criticized the police investigation stating “…the police failed to investigate Mulrunji's death properly”. Coroner Clements report contains 40 recommendations, including “…that there should be more alternatives to arrests and that the police response should be changed to make arrests a last resort”.
Coroner Clements does not have the legal power to recommend that Senior Sgt Chris Hurley be charged with murder. Ms Clements declared “it is now up to the Department of Public Prosecutions to decide whether Senior Sgt Hurley should be charged in relation to the death”.
The Police Commissioner’s office says that they will give a formal response to the coroner’s findings once they have reviewed the full report. However in a media conference held today the Queensland Police Union (QPU) general president Gary Wilkinson declared the Inquest into Mulrungi Doomadgee's death a ‘witch-hunt’. Mr Wilkinson stated that Coroner Clements had ‘cherry picked’ her way through the evidence reflecting her anti police agenda. In defense of Chris Hurley, Mr Wilkinson stated he considered Hurley to have done nothing wrong & that he had “…been hung out to dry by her" (www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200609/s1749821.htm).
A spokes person for the Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson does not believe that any officer should be stood down from duty as a result of the inquest findings.
The official response by Premier Peter Beattie was out lined by this Australia Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) news report:
Task force assigned to Mulrunji findings
The Queensland Premier has established a high-level response team to work through each of the recommendations from a coroner's report into the death of a Palm Island man.
Christine Clements has found the 36-year-old man known as Mulrunji was hit by Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley after Mulrunji's arrest for public drunkenness, and that he died from the injuries.
The Palm Island community erupted into a riot in the days after the death in custody.
Peter Beattie says he has discussed the report with the Police Minister, Attorney General, Crown solicitor and members of his own department.
He says the response team will prepare a recommendation for Cabinet, which will be examined before the end of the year.
"I would obviously appeal to people to accept the fact that the coroner's recommendations will need to be considered and they will be dealt with in two ways," he said.
"One, any future action concerning the officer concerned must go through due process and that's a matter for the DPP.
"Any issue in relation to individual recommendations for government will be considered by the high level task force."
(www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200609/s1750532.htm)
(Down loaded: 8:40 pm, 27th.09.06).
For the full Inquest report click onto the link & follow the Related Link connection on the right hand side of the site page (3rd link down):
www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200609/s1750532.htm
More updates to follow!
