Labor has urged the state government to launch an immediate inquiry into the first Aboriginal death in NSW police custody since 2000, which occurred at Maitland in July.
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On Tuesday, Fairfax Media revealed the identity of a woman who died in custody at Maitland police station on July 19 as Aboriginal woman Rebecca Maher.
Ms Maher, 36, had been taken to a Maitland cell just after midnight after reportedly being intoxicated in public.
She was found dead in her cell about 6am. It’s not clear how she died.
Maitland MP Jenny Aitchison has called for an immediate investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death, after allegations surfaced this week that Maitland police did not comply with a legal requirement to contact Aboriginal Legal Service immediately after Ms Maher was detained.
“The woman’s family deserves to know what happened – they need answers,” Ms Aitchison said.
“This is a terrible tragedy and the community of Maitland stands with her family.”
Opposition spokesperson for Aboriginal Affairs David Harris said his thoughts were with Ms Maher’s family.
“A thorough investigation must take place immediately to establish why proper protocol wasn’t followed,” he said.
“It’s concerning how this information was released and why it took so long.”
Nick Bielby
Nick Bielby is a crime reporter who has worked as a journalist since 2011. Having joined the Newcastle Herald in 2017, he won a Walkley Award in 2019 with Donna Page for their investigation 'Dirty Deeds', which exposed the decades of illegal dumping of toxic material in and around a Hunter waterway.
Nick Bielby is a crime reporter who has worked as a journalist since 2011. Having joined the Newcastle Herald in 2017, he won a Walkley Award in 2019 with Donna Page for their investigation 'Dirty Deeds', which exposed the decades of illegal dumping of toxic material in and around a Hunter waterway.
