*** Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article refers to a traumatic death ***
Introduction by Croakey: The grandfather of a 24-year-old Yuendumu man who died in police custody in Mparntwe/Alice Springs this week has paid tribute to his grandson, ABC reports.
Ned Hargraves, a senior Warlpiri elder, said his community wanted “answers and justice” for his grandson, who had been living in supported accommodation in Alice Springs because of his disabilities.
The National Network of Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls called for a full and immediate independent investigation into this death, with no involvement from NT Police.
In a statement, the Network also demanded an investigation by the Minister for the NDIS, Mark Butler, into why the man was hungry with no supports.
Below is a statement by the First Peoples Disability Network calling for an immediate, fully transparent investigation led by an external body in partnership with the deceased man’s family.
First Peoples Disability Network statement
The First Peoples Disability Network (FPDN) is devastated and outraged at the death of a 24-year-old Aboriginal man with disability who lost consciousness and later died after being restrained by two Northern Territory Police officers inside Coles Alice Springs on Tuesday 27 May 2025.
Damian Griffis calls for national attention, saying: “This tragic event highlights the concerns we have been raising at FPDN for many years. This again highlights the increasing criminalisation of disability. It also exposes potentially serious failings with the Guardianship system and the NDIS.”
Aunty Kay Sadler, FPDN Chairperson, also shared her disappointment. “Evidently this young man was taking food from the store, this would be because he was hungry, and being hungry is not a crime. Why was this young man hungry is the question, and why has he lost his life in police custody. This should be front page news, and it should be a national outrage.”
Critical next actions
Independent, culturally safe investigation – FPDN calls for an immediate, fully transparent investigation led by an external body in partnership with the deceased man’s family, consistent with Recommendation 41 of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.
Culturally appropriate supports for the family and community to assist with the aftermath following this tragedy, including funded legal, cultural and psychosocial services
Immediate release of all body-worn camera and CCTV footage to the family and their legal representatives to ensure truth-telling and accountability.
Implementation of Disability Royal Commission reforms – Volume 8 of the Commission’s final report urges governments to embed disability awareness and de-escalation training across policing, yet most recommendations remain under consideration.
Urgent progress on Closing the Gap justice targets – Target 10 seeks a 15 percent reduction in Aboriginal adult incarceration by 2031, but current trajectories show the goal is not on track.
Specialist First Nations disability liaison teams in all jurisdictions to respond to incidents involving people with cognitive, psychosocial or physical disability.
A pattern that cannot be ignored
Indigenous people are 26 percent of the NT population yet 86 percent of its prison population.
Nationally, 24 of 104 deaths in custody in 2023-24 were Indigenous (23%), a rate six times higher than for non-Indigenous Australians.
People with disability make up 29 percent of the prison population while representing 18 percent of all Australians; advocacy evidence suggests up to 95 percent of First Nations defendants have a cognitive impairment or mental illness.
“This death comes less than a fortnight before the NT coroner hands down findings in the Kumanjayi Walker inquest,” Mr Griffis added.
“How many more inquiries and funerals will it take before authorities act on the mountain of evidence we already have?”
The tragedy starkly underlines that, since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody handed down its 339 recommendations in 1991, at least 593 First Nations people have died in police or prison custody – proof that the Commission’s calls for change remain largely unheeded.
“A young Aboriginal man with disability has died yet again during an interaction with police. Our people are tired of condolences without consequence,” said Mr Griffis.
“The Disability Royal Commission told governments exactly how to prevent these tragedies. Implementation has stalled, and our communities pay with their lives.”
Calls to governments and justice system leaders
- Adopt all Disability Royal Commission justice recommendations by 30 June 2026, with co-design led by First Nations people with disability.
- Fund First Nations Community-Controlled Disability Justice Hubs to provide early intervention, crisis de-escalation and post-custody support across the NT and other high-need regions.
- Introduce real-time public reporting of deaths and serious incidents in custody, disaggregated by Indigeneity and disability.
- Align NT policing practice with Closing the Gap Priority Reforms, including shared decision-making and culturally safe service delivery.
“We urge journalists to dig deeper than the police media line,” concluded Aunty Kay. “Talk to families, communities and peak bodies like FPDN who can speak to the systemic drivers of these deaths.”
Mr Griffis concluded: “We at FPDN are left asking the question, how is this situation any different to what happened to George Floyd in America? This young man also couldn’t breathe.”
• FPDN is the national peak organisation led by and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability. We advocate for the human rights of 60,000+ First Nations people with disability and their families and work to ensure policies, programs and services are culturally safe, accessible and anchored in self-determination.
Further reading
The Guardian: ‘Genocide’: Patrick Dodson condemns Australia’s Aboriginal youth incarceration rates
See Croakey’s archive of articles on justice and policing
