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| Ms Dhu coroner reopens application to release CCTV footage Ms Dhu coroner reopens application to release CCTV footage | |
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| The Western Australian coroner has reopened an application to release CCTV footage filmed before the death in custody of the Indigenous woman Ms Dhu, after a lengthy campaign by her family. | The Western Australian coroner has reopened an application to release CCTV footage filmed before the death in custody of the Indigenous woman Ms Dhu, after a lengthy campaign by her family. |
| Dhu, a 22-year-old Yamatji woman, died in the custody of police at Port Hedland, 1,500km north of Perth, on 4 August 2014, less than 48 hours after being arrested for unpaid fines. | Dhu, a 22-year-old Yamatji woman, died in the custody of police at Port Hedland, 1,500km north of Perth, on 4 August 2014, less than 48 hours after being arrested for unpaid fines. |
| The Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia, which represented Dhu’s family at the coronial inquest into her death, applied to the coroner Ros Fogliani last month to reconsider her earlier decision not to release the footage. | The Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia, which represented Dhu’s family at the coronial inquest into her death, applied to the coroner Ros Fogliani last month to reconsider her earlier decision not to release the footage. |
| On Tuesday the matter was listed for hearing at the Perth magistrates court on 28 September. | On Tuesday the matter was listed for hearing at the Perth magistrates court on 28 September. |
| The legal service’s chief executive, Dennis Eggington, said it was a positive development. “We were pleased that the family’s application to reopen the matter has been accepted,” he told Guardian Australia. “The family has been requesting this and we hope now that the coroner will see fit to release it.” | The legal service’s chief executive, Dennis Eggington, said it was a positive development. “We were pleased that the family’s application to reopen the matter has been accepted,” he told Guardian Australia. “The family has been requesting this and we hope now that the coroner will see fit to release it.” |
| The listing comes just days after the Senate supported a motion by the WA senators Rachel Seiwert and Sue Lines to release the footage. | The listing comes just days after the Senate supported a motion by the WA senators Rachel Seiwert and Sue Lines to release the footage. |
| On Thursday the WA premier, Colin Barnett, said his government did not object to the footage being released. “That footage is in the hands of the coroner,” he said. “The police, I understand, no longer have it and the primary reason given was to protect Ms Dhu’s privacy. | On Thursday the WA premier, Colin Barnett, said his government did not object to the footage being released. “That footage is in the hands of the coroner,” he said. “The police, I understand, no longer have it and the primary reason given was to protect Ms Dhu’s privacy. |
| “I don’t know what that means but I imagine it’s probably fairly horrific footage and perhaps even undignified. I don’t know.” | “I don’t know what that means but I imagine it’s probably fairly horrific footage and perhaps even undignified. I don’t know.” |
| Fogliani denied media requests to release the footage in March, against the family’s wishes, because it showed images of Dhu when she was very close to death, which she said “may take family members by surprise and it may shock them in the years to come”. | Fogliani denied media requests to release the footage in March, against the family’s wishes, because it showed images of Dhu when she was very close to death, which she said “may take family members by surprise and it may shock them in the years to come”. |
| The footage, seen by Guardian Australia, includes images of Dhu being dragged from her cell at South Hedland police station by police officers, who are then seen carrying her by her hands and feet to the back of the police van to take her to hospital. She collapsed into septic shock soon afterwards and did not regain consciousness. | The footage, seen by Guardian Australia, includes images of Dhu being dragged from her cell at South Hedland police station by police officers, who are then seen carrying her by her hands and feet to the back of the police van to take her to hospital. She collapsed into septic shock soon afterwards and did not regain consciousness. |