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WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this story includes the name and image of an Indigenous person who has passed away.
This article may be distressing to some readers.
In the wake of disturbing events at an Alice Springs hospital, where a man connected to the disappearance and death of five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby was receiving treatment, the child’s family has called for peace throughout Central Australia.
Speaking to NITV News on Saturday, Walpiri Elder Robin Granites, who considers himself the child’s grandfather, emphasized the importance of engaging in Sorry Business. “It is a time for honoring our family, for mourning and reflecting on the loss we have suffered,” he expressed.
“There is a palpable sense of emotional upheaval—feelings of anger and sorrow are overwhelming,” Granites noted, acknowledging the community’s intense emotions in response to the tragic events.
However, now was not the time “to be a hero on social media or to make trouble”, he said, adding that people from communities around Alice Springs should travel to the town for Sorry Business but “not for anything else”.
He said he hoped that people would respect the family’s wishes for Sorry Business — a period of collective mourning in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities — to remain small and carried out in cooperation with the family.
He said a public vigil would be held on Thursday next week at Alice Spring’s Anzac Oval and members of the public would be welcome to attend that event.
On Thursday night, several hundred people gathered outside Alice Springs hospital as news emerged that Jefferson Lewis, the 47-year-old man suspected of abducting and murdering Kumanjayi Little Baby, was being treated there.
Four ambulances were taken off the road and crews went into lockdown for about five hours as a riot escalated outside the hospital. Bins and vegetation were also set on fire and some nearby businesses were damaged.
One woman was arrested for allegedly attempting to set alight a police car and had been charged with attempted arson and riot charges, Northern Territory Police said in a statement on Saturday afternoon.
Lewis was subsequently airlifted to Darwin and is expected to be charged with murdering the child.
‘We need your support’
Granites also thanked the wider community for the flow of tributes to the family from across Australia.
“Whoever is watching: please, we need your support and your prayers and your wishes.”
The body of a girl, which police believe to be Kumanjayi Little Baby, was discovered at around midday on Thursday by police approximately 5km from Alice Springs’ Old Timers town camp, the place she was last seen on Sunday.
“What has happened this week is not our way. Our children are precious, of course,” Granites said.
He said Kumanjayi Little Baby’s young mother had been “hiding away” and the experience had been “so terrible for her”.
This article was produced in collaboration with NITV News with reporting by Emma Kellaway and Josh van Staden.
Readers seeking support can ring Lifeline crisis support on 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14, visit lifeline.org.au. Resources for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders can be found at Headspace: Yarn Safe.
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