MEDIA ALERT
Calls for a Fair Trial on the Back of Survey Results Branding
Townsville as Racist
Friday 14th July 2006
Aborigines can no longer receive a fair trial in Townsville according to survey results to be released today that show a majority of residents would be unable to expel racist attitudes in court.
In the survey, commissioned by Sydney-based law firm, Levitt Robinson, over half of Townsville residents claimed they could not disregard negative beliefs held about Aborigines, even if instructed by a judge in a courtroom setting.
This social insight brings to light a segregated city rife with racist views with only one in ten Townsville residents having a positive attitude towards Aboriginal people in the community.
The survey was conducted during June and July 2006 to demonstrate the need for the Lex Wotton Palm Island Riots case to be moved from a schedule hearing in Townsville to Brisbane to ensure a fair and just trial.
“These results prove that the public attitudes towards Aborigines in North Queensland are hostile and prejudiced. How can an Aboriginal person be tried fairly by a Townsville jury?” said Stewart Levitt, leading Sydney lawyer and human rights advocate.
Levitt believes the catalyst for the Palm Island Riots is not acknowledged by the wider Townsville community with only one in four surveyed correctly attributing the cause of events to a death in custody.
“Social issues abound within the North Queensland Aboriginal community and only by building confidence in the legal system can Aborigines have faith that justice will be done,” said Levitt.
MORE STATISTICS:
* Nine in ten Townsville residents knew of the Palm Island Riots, but only 5% hold a positive attitude towards Aborigines from Palm Island
* Close to 40% of those surveyed had been affected by anti-social behaviour with three quarters of those incidents involving an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
* The survey, commissioned by Levitt Robinson Solicitors, was conducted by the AEC Group and interviewed 400 Townsville residents during June and July 2006 * Levitt is currently working with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in North Queensland for the equality of treatment among all Australians
For an interview opportunity with Stewart Levitt, please contact
Catherine
Donnelly on: 0405 686791
from “The Australian” newspaper
‘Racism’ leads to Palm riot trial shift
Ian Gerard
July 15, 2006
THE trial of an alleged ringleader in the Palm Island riots has been moved from Townsville to Brisbane on the grounds it would be difficult to find a jury in the north Queensland city that was not racist.
Townsville District Court Acting Chief Judge Tony Skoien yesterday agreed to move the trial after he was presented with the results of a study that suggested most locals would be unable to put aside their prejudices against Patrick Lex Wotton and other Palm Island Aborigines, even if ordered to do so.
The survey, commissioned by Mr Wotton’s legal team, also showed that less than 5 per cent of the city’s residents had a positive attitude towards Palm Island’s Aboriginal residents, with one respondent labelling them “mongrel dogs”.
Yesterday’s decision could lead to a flood of applications from Aborigines awaiting trial in Townsville to have their cases moved to another jurisdiction and spark appeals from indigenous people already convicted.
It remains to be seen whether the other 20 Palm Island Aborigines accused of rioting will apply to have their trials heard in Brisbane.
“How can an Aboriginal person be tried fairly by a Townsville jury?” Mr Wotton’s Sydney solicitor Stewart Levitt said after yesterday’s decision.
“These results prove that the public attitudes towards Aborigines in north Queensland are hostile and prejudiced.
“The level of prejudice that was displayed against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders would certainly support others making similar applications.”
Relations between whites and Aborigines in Townsville, which has one of the country’s largest indigenous communities, have been tense since the November 2004 death in custody of Palm Island man Mulrunji Doomadgee. Palm Island is just a few kilometres from Townsville.
Doomadgee was found dead in a cell at the island’s police watchhouse. Police said he fell on a concrete step, but a post-mortem examination revealed he had four broken ribs and a torn liver.
The autopsy results sparked rioting on the island. The courthouse, police station and barracks were set alight and police were beseiged. Reinforcements from Townsville eventually rescued the officers.
The survey, by research house AEC Group, questioned about 400 people from Townsville about a range of issues relating to Mr Wotton and Palm Island Aboriginal people. More than half the respondents agreed they had negative preconceived notions about Mr Wotton that they would be unable to ignore during a trial.
Most of those who were aware of the Palm Island riots thought they were alcohol-related and the Aborigines who took part were criminally responsible.
“In my opinion they are a protected species,” one Townsville resident said in response to survey questions. “You can’t touch them, you can’t kick them, you can’t turn your back on them. They are mongrel dogs.”
Mr Levitt said: “There is certainly a preponderance of racist sentiment in Townsville.”
Queensland Attorney-General Linda Lavarch refused to comment yesterday.
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