Tension simmers as man charged with ‘horrific’ murder
As the country town of Alice Springs is rocked by unrest, a man faces the possibility of life behind bars following the alleged murder of a five-year-old girl.
Jefferson Lewis, 47, was charged with murder and other crimes after Little Baby Kumanjayi’s body was found in woodland near the provincial town on Thursday, five days after she went missing.
The disappearance of Kumanjayi, the name given to the child after his death in keeping with cultural tradition, from a house in an Indigenous town camp near Alice Springs sparked a massive land and air search.
His body was found in bushes outside the town after days of searching, sparking grief, anger and fear throughout the close-knit central Australian community.
Lewis was arrested at a camp in another Alice Springs town on Thursday after being beaten unconscious by locals.
He was taken to Alice Springs Hospital under guard as tensions continued to rise and residents called for urgent traditional justice.
While five emergency service workers were injured in the chaos, police vehicles and ambulances were also damaged.
Lewis was evacuated from the NT Police air wing to Darwin before being taken into custody ahead of a hearing expected in Darwin Local Court on Tuesday.
Police confirmed the murder charge at a press conference on Sunday, saying the case was extremely distressing for the girl’s family and the wider community.
NT Police Commissioner Martin Dole said detectives were working around the clock on what he described as an extensive and complex investigation.
“Our thoughts are certainly with Kumanjayi’s family, his loved ones and the wider community who have been deeply affected by these events,” he told reporters.
“This is extremely distressing, not only for the family but also for the wider community. This is a terrible incident and a terrible set of circumstances.”
NT Premier Lia Finocchiaro visited the girl’s mother in Alice Springs as the family began a harrowing affair, the cultural term for mourning.
“Our focus right now is on a grieving family, a town and a region; politics can wait,” a spokesman for Ms Finocchiaro told AAP.
The death spurred calls, including from NT Liberal senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, for a review of conditions at town camps and the money spent on the sites.
Federal Nationals Leader Matt Canavan also used the tragedy to renew calls for a royal commission into the abuse of Indigenous children and a broader inquiry into how public funds are spent in First Nations affairs.
“Since the defeat of the voice (referendum), the government has effectively become scared of Indigenous policy,” Senator Canavan told the ABC’s Insider program on Sunday.
“You need to get your hands dirty, get involved in communities and take practical action to help people’s lives, not just spend money.”
But Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rejected calls for an inquiry, saying his government’s $4 billion spend on remote housing was already improving living standards.
Police continue to investigate widespread looting and violence that broke out following Lewis’ arrest, including attacks on emergency services and extensive damage to local businesses.
While Mr Dole insisted the behavior had nothing to do with grief or cultural laws, officers released footage of people breaking into stores and stealing stock.
“What you’re going to see is criminal behavior, plain and simple,” he said.
Due to the chaos, two people surrendered and several people were arrested; More charges are expected as investigators review hundreds of hours of CCTV and body-worn video.
Officers are also searching for people they believe were protecting Lewis before his arrest as they piece together his movements during the days-long search.
Community leaders and the girl’s family appealed for calm, urging residents to let the courts handle both the alleged murder and the violence that followed.
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