The death of Julieka Dhu has rocked the remote Pilbara communityof Port Hedland and the details surrounding the 22-year-old’s final days in the South Hedland Police Station remain unclear.
Ms Dhu was arrested alongside her partner Dion Ruffin on August 2 and was taken to the South Hedland Police Station, where she remained until her death four days later.
She was there for failing to pay a $1000 fine.
It's emerged that not only was Ms Dhu released from hospital multiple times after complaining she felt unwell, but she was locked up as part of the Western Australian government's policy of paying down outstanding fines through prison time.
After complaining to police about severe pain, vomiting and partial paralysis she was twice taken to a local hospital, but on both occasions declared well enough to be sent back to prison despite reportedly not being seen by a doctor, News Corp reported.
The Hedland community is still coming to terms with the case of Ms Dhu and just what happened on the that August weekend.
Officers from the WA Police internal affairs unit will investigate the incident and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
Both the health campus and police station’s duty of care is being called into question.
The Western Australian government's policy of doing "time" for fines has been heavily criticized.
Bob Neville from the Bloodwood Tree Association, an Indigenous aid organisation, has witnessed the impact of the policy firsthand.
Through his provision of support services in South Hedland since the 1970s, he said he’s come to see the policy as “one of the biggest injustices for Aboriginal people that's ever occurred”.
“The fines enforcement keeps building up and building up,” he said.
“There are a lot of times people will then get, if you like, taken off to Roebourne regional prison. From my understanding, there is quite a large cohort in Roebourn prison who are there for fines enforcement and driving offences and all that sort of stuff.”
Ms Dhu's funeral will be held in Geraldton on Saturday.
