The distant Aboriginal neighborhood of Yuendumu has welcomed the coroner who’s investigating the police capturing demise of Kumanjayi Walker with a ceremony, tune and sorrow.
Constable Zachary Rolfe shot and killed 19-year-old Walker throughout a bungled arrest at a house in Yuendumu in November 2019. Rolfe was charged with Walker’s homicide 4 days after the capturing and acquitted in March following a supreme courtroom trial.
NT coroner Elisabeth Armitage travelled to the tiny city with a inhabitants of 800 on Monday to fulfill neighborhood members and listen to first hand how Walker’s demise had affected them. She was formally welcomed by senior Warlpiri elders throughout two ceremonies – one by senior males, the opposite by senior ladies – earlier than visiting the home the place Walker was shot within the again and torso.
Flanked by authorized representatives concerned within the long-running inquest, the coroner first walked throughout the neighborhood to fulfill a bunch of males sitting within the ochre earth below a eucalyptus tree.
The Warlpiri males sang and danced for Armitage earlier than she was escorted to about 30 ladies wearing black clothes, who wailed in grief and softly sang a tune described as Kumanjayi’s tune whereas onlookers stood in silence.
Armitage toured home 511, the place Rolfe shot Walker.
Afterward, the group moved to Yuendumu’s undercover basketball courtroom, the place a truth-telling session is scheduled for neighborhood members to air their emotions and discuss in regards to the influence of Walker’s demise.
The coroner had deliberate to start out the inquest with a go to to Yuendumu in early September nevertheless it was postponed till it obtained broad communitysupport.
Greater than two months on, her presence and that of the authorized events concerned within the inquest, together with Rolfe’s lawyer, Luke Officer, was welcomed.
The journey will conclude late on Tuesday, with the inquest returning to Alice Springs on Wednesday to listen to Rolfe’s proof.
Nonetheless, it’s now unclear the extent to which Rolfe might be required to present proof, after his authorized staff filed paperwork within the NT supreme courtroom searching for to restrict the scope of questions he could also be requested.
Rolfe’s authorized staff have utilized to affix a case introduced by his fellow police officer, Lee Bauwens, who’s searching for an injunction restraining the coroner and different events from calling him to “give proof or reply questions on issues that would give rise to a declare for penalty privilege”.
Attorneys for Bauwens and Rolfe are arguing that although the coroner can present witnesses with indemnity in opposition to any expenses which can be laid on account of their proof, this will not defend them from inner disciplinary proceedings.
They’re arguing the coroner doesn’t have the facility to compel an individual to reply a query, however a declare of widespread legislation penalty privilege.
The matter might be heard within the supreme courtroom in Darwin earlier than Choose Sonia Brownhill on November 22.