NCJ Number
139472
Date Published
1990
Length
64 pages
Annotation
This research examines the incidence of alleged violence by police officers towards Aboriginal juveniles in Australia.
Abstract
Information for this report was obtained from interviews with 171 Aboriginal juveniles in detention centers in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia. Overall, 85 percent of the juveniles interviewed reported being hit, punched, kicked, or slapped by police. Some 63 percent of the juveniles reported being hit with objects by the police, and 32 percent reported having police revolvers either drawn or fired. Aboriginal girls had similar complaints of violence. The alleged assaults occurred on the street, during arrest, and at the police station. Complaints about violence and harassment in public places came particularly from suburban and business centers in Brisbane, Sydney, and Perth, but also included rural areas in the three States. Some 81 percent of the juveniles said they had been subjected to racist abuse by police officers, and a number of juveniles said that while they were in police custody, there had been suggestions made by police officers about the youths' committing suicide; some juveniles claimed police had threatened to hang them. Few of the juveniles interviewed had made any form of complaint about the alleged assaults. Recommendations intended to reduce police violence against Aboriginal youth include the presence of a trained independent person during police interrogations and other investigation procedures. Such a person would be knowledgeable about the rights and duties of the police and the suspect. 11 tables, 1 figure, and 54 item bibliography