The National Network extend our deepest condolences and solidarity to the family of the young man whose life was taken yesterday in Mparntwe, and to the entire Yuendumu community, who once again are in mourning. We see you, we grieve with you, and we stand beside you in rage and heartbreak.
‘This man was just 24 years old. He was disabled and on the NDIS. He was hungry. He was under state guardianship—under the care and protection of the Minister. And it was the state that killed him,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘He was trying to get food. That is what police responded to. And instead of support or understanding, he was restrained, crushed, and killed in front of shoppers in a Coles supermarket,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘Let us be absolutely clear: this was a lethal police intervention—one that reflects the everyday brutality of policing in this country. This is not an isolated tragedy. This is what police do. They rob people of their lives,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
This killing happened during Reconciliation Week, and occurred in the very week we remember the murder of George Floyd Jr. by police in the United States. Yet again, we are forced to witness the extinguishing of a Black man’s life at the hands of state violence. The parallels are undeniable. Aboriginal people are killed in the streets, in supermarkets, in watchhouses, and in prisons—not because they are violent, but because the state is,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘We are horrified, but not surprised. The National Network condemns this latest killing in custody and the disgusting attempt by police to focus on officer and security guard welfare while a family is forced to process a violent, preventable death,’ said Tabitha Lean.
‘We have heard this man was a ward of the state—a disabled Aboriginal man under the guardianship of the Minister. The same state that claimed to care for him sanctioned the system that ultimately killed him,’ said Tabitha Lean.
‘This tragedy exposes the violence of the guardianship system. We must urgently scrutinise its operations and demand answers for the systemic violence it continues to produce,’ said Tabitha Lean.
Debbie and Tabitha from the National Network are in Mparntwe right now, and we are hearing from community members how guardianship is creating more barriers, not less. ‘People can’t access their own money. There is no local office. They are forced to call Darwin to request funds. The result? Poverty. Hunger. Disempowerment,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘And when people attempt to meet their most basic needs—like eating—they are profiled, surveilled, criminalised, and killed,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘The government’s only response is to blame. Blame the poor. Blame Aboriginal people. Blame the disabled. But this death lies at the feet of the government,’ said Tabitha Lean.
The National Network of Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls calls for:
- A full and immediate independent investigation into this death, with no involvement from NT Police.
- The end of state-based guardianship systems that disempower and endanger Aboriginal people.
- Investment in community-controlled, culturally safe support systems—not surveillance and coercion.
- Divestment from police, and a national plan to defund the police. These are death squads—not public safety services.
- The Minister for NDIS must investigate why he was hungry with no supports.
‘Enough is enough. No more killings. No more death squads masquerading as law and order. No more excuses. No more state violence under the guise of care. This must end,’ said Tabitha Lean.
For further comment, please contact Debbie Kilroy on 0419 762 474 or Tabitha Lean on 0499 780 226.
Debbie and Tabitha are currently in Mparntwe and will be until Thursday afternoon.
