Forum hears of police harassment of TJ Hickey’s family

Chris Slee
Naarm/Melbourne
March 26, 2011
Issue 
874
News
Police assault Tisha Hickey, September 2010.

Twenty people attended a meeting in Melbourne on March 23 organised by the Indigenous Social Justice Association (ISJA) in support of the family of TJ Hickey, a young Aboriginal man who died in February 2004 in the Sydney suburb of Redfern. He was impaled on a fence after being chased through the streets by a police car while riding his bicycle.

Barrister Emrys Nekvapil told the meeting the case had been taken to the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) by TJ's mother Gail Hickey.

He said the case is based on the fact that the investigation into TJ Hickey’s death, which potentially implicated members of the NSW police force, was carried out by the police force itself.

There is no body independent of the police force that can investigate deaths in which the police may be involved.

Furthermore, given the history of racism in the police force, the absence of such a body means that the right to freedom from discrimination is not being protected.

Gail Hickey's submission to the UNHRC is available here.

ISJA member Keith Kaulfuss told the meeting about the ongoing harassment of the Hickey family by the police.

In September, police raided a home in the Sydney suburb of Riverstone where a birthday party had been held for Tisha Hickey.

Police threw her to the ground, causing bruising. Other members of the family were also assaulted, and seven people were arrested on trumped-up charges including riot, affray and assaulting police.

The police attack was recorded on camera and can be viewed below [video has since become unavailable].

Those arrested are due to go to trial on May 23 at Parramatta court. A rally is planned for outside the court.

Indigenous
Australia

Comments

Anonymous replied on

Well, what a lovely bunch of people. Can't at all understand why the police were there! Not to mention the racism of yelling "white c*!t".

Anonymous replied on

Interesting comment by Anonymous (28/3/2011). It's easy to comment from a privileged position (be that a position of 'whiteness', 'social standing' or who knows even of the power of a police positiion) but perhaps the idea of spending a day in the shoes of just one member of the Hickey family (or other Aboriginal people for that matter) would bring about a better understanding of what it's like to be harassed and intimidated on a regular, sometimes daily, basis. Is that behaviour by NSW police not racist? NSW police are not paid to be bullies in uniform and fortunately there are probably some very decent human beings in their midst. Sadly peer group pressure probably plays a significant role in what can only be described as totally unacceptable behaviour by certain individual members of NSW police and such behaviour should be condemned and investigated. Additionally this incident, and other similar incidents, which TJ's family (and extended family) have experienced need thorough independent investigation - not another police investigating police type of investigation. Everyone saw how badly the investigation into TJ's death was carried out..... 7 years on and 'Anonymous' is offended by the yelling of 'white c*!t'. What would 'Anonymous' do if his/her family shared the experiences of the Hickey family and others like them, who following the loss of loved ones as Aboriginal deaths in custody have the audacity (or the perceived audacity) to stand up to demand justice for their losses and are persecuted for doing so? Why is Arthur Murray still being harassed following the death of his son, Eddie, all those years ago? For more on this check out John Pilger's acceptance of the Sydney Peace Prize a year or so ago. Finally, while not condoning the use of swear words I would say that they pale into insignificance when compared with the overzealous and entirely inappropriate behaviour by some members of the NSW police service. Good luck to the Hickey family and may they receive justice one day!

Anonymous replied on

Police are the forefront of Racist tyranny and oppression of the people. Police are the puppets, the loyal obedient slaves to their master government. the government, serve the interests of the Rich, not the people. Current society, ignores the poor, Poor blacks and the poor whites. Many blacks are poor because of Racism, who wants to employ a black man? in society, there are lots of prejudice against people of colour, so you would rather employ a white man. Aborigines are a victim under Capitalist society. Cops deal with racist capitalism, and enforce the racist capitalist order. We must sweep away Capitalism, to include blacks within our society, give them jobs, and hope for a future, Whites and all people will benefit with a much better society.

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