Australian policeman faces trial over Aboriginal teen’s death amid global outcry
- Zachary Rolfe is accused of shooting dead 19-year-old Kumanjayi Walker; the trial kicks off amid outcry over the number of Indigenous deaths in police custody
- More than 500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have died in custody since 1991; no police officer has ever been convicted
An Australian constable goes on trial on Monday with prosecutors trying to secure the country’s first murder conviction against a police officer over the death of an Aboriginal person.
Zachary Rolfe is accused of shooting dead 19-year-old Kumanjayi Walker in a remote outback town in 2019 in a high-profile case that prompted nationwide protests. Rolfe, 30, has pleaded not guilty.
The trial kicks off amid growing outcry over the number of Indigenous deaths in police custody and follows large-scale racial justice rallies in Australia and around the world.
More than 500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have died in custody since 1991, when detailed records began, including at least 11 in the last seven months.
Despite several public inquiries and trials over similar cases, no Australian police officer has ever been convicted of murder over the death of an Indigenous person in custody.
“Given the heightened attention to deaths in custody in Australia, and the Black Lives Matter movement, I think people are using this as a litmus test for whether the courts can provide justice for First Nations families,” said Thalia Anthony, professor of law at the University of Technology Sydney.
In a surprise decision last November, Australia’s High Court blocked an attempt by Rolfe to argue he acted in “good faith” when he shot Walker. Experts say the ruling took away a key legal defence available to police when carrying out their duties.
