Tuesday, June 29, 2010



No justice in Australia

Last year, I blogged about the case of an Aboriginal man who was cooked to death in the back of a security van while being driven 250 miles across the desert in 47C heat. Today, I read that the Western Australia Director of Public Prosecutions has decided that no charges will be laid in the case. Apparently, the fact that so many parties were involved means that no-one can be prosecuted - not even the security guards who could see and hear (and likely smell) what was happening to the victim, but callously did nothing and allowed him to die.

Like In A Strange Land, I'm appalled. This is racism, pure and simple. It is impossible to imagine no-one being held to account in a clear case of depraved indifference if it was a white man who was the victim. Hell, its impossible to imagine no-one being held to account if it was a dog. But that's Australia for you: where Aboriginals are regarded as lower than dogs, and having white skin lets you get away with manslaughter.