Man charged over death of Australian Indigenous girl that sparked outback riots
Key takeaways
- “This is an horrific event and an horrific set of circumstances, and our thoughts remain strongly with the family,” Northern Territory Police Commissioner Martin Dole said in televised remarks from Alice Springs.
- Lewis, who had presented himself to one of the camps on the outskirts of the outback town, was charged on Saturday evening and will appear in court in the territory’s capital, Darwin, on Tuesday, police said.
- The girl’s killing and subsequent capture of the suspect, after he was found and beaten unconscious by locals, sparked protests by roughly 400 Indigenous people near Alice Springs late on Thursday.
Why this matters: local context for readers following news across Pakistan and the region.
Add ARY News on Google SYDNEY: Police in Australia’s Northern Territory said on Sunday they had charged a man with murdering an Indigenous girl, days after the 5-year-old’s death sparked violent clashes in an outback town.
Jefferson Lewis, 47, was also charged with two other offences, which cannot be publicly disclosed for legal reasons, over the death of Kumanjayi Little Baby, the name by which the victim is known in line with Indigenous custom, police said in a statement.
“This is an horrific event and an horrific set of circumstances, and our thoughts remain strongly with the family,” Northern Territory Police Commissioner Martin Dole said in televised remarks from Alice Springs.