Julieka Dhu
On August 4, 2014, a 22-year-old Aboriginal woman, Julieka Ivanna Dhu, died in hospital after she lost consciousness in a police station cell. During her stay at the police station, she complained several times of feeling unwell.
While in custody, the woman repeatedly complained of chest pain. She was taken to the campus hospital, where the medical staff decided that her complaints of poor health were exaggerated and related to the forced refusal to take drugs. A few days later, after returning to the police station, Dhu once again complained to the officers that it was difficult for her to stand on her feet, but the police accused her of simulation, handcuffed her, and returned her to the hospital, where she died shortly after arrival. The official cause of death was an infection caused by the fact that her partner broke her ribs three months earlier.
On April 30, 2021, the doctor who examined Dhu was found guilty of professional misconduct and a fine was imposed on him, but the girl’s relatives were not satisfied with this decision, and they stated that they intend to continue fighting for justice for her, organizing demonstrations demanding justice for victims of police violence.