David Dungay Jr’s Death In Custody Case Is Being Taken To The United Nations
"I want the United Nations to say loud and clear to our racist government that Black lives matter.”
Human rights lawyers will take David Dungay Jr’s case to the United Nations over Australia’s lack of action into his death in custody.
Dungay’s family are hoping international pressure will finally force NSW to hold those responsible to account, and achieve justice after six years.
“The United Nations need to know there is a crisis in this country, that Australia is breaching their commitments to the UN to protect the human rights of all citizens, regardless of their race,” his mother Leetona Dungay told press on Thursday.
Today was an important day for Leetona Dungay.
In a major announcement, Leetona told press that she would be going to the United Nations to seek accountability and justice for the death of her son, #DavidDungayJr pic.twitter.com/xpT59Exl3m
— Nat. Justice Project (@NJP_Au) June 10, 2021
“I want the United Nations to tell the Australian Government to change its ways. I want the United Nations to say loud and clear to our racist government that Black lives matter.”
A number of high profile figures will be involved in the case including one of Julian Assange’s lawyers, in what has been described as a ‘last resort’ for Dungay’s case.
Let’s hope for some “truth telling” by everyone involved in this.
— Tuxedo (@coffsrunner67) June 10, 2021
The team will argue that Dungay’s preventable death was a violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and that more should be done to prevent impunity in all First Nations deaths in custody, the National Indigenous Times reported.
The 26-year-old died in NSW’s Long Bay jail in 2015 after being restrained by five prison officers trying to remove a packet of biscuits off Dungay, who was diabetic.
He was pinned down, and repeatedly cried out that he couldn’t breathe — the same final words as African-American man George Floyd, whose death instigated protests around the world last year. Dungay was later sedated and lost his life in the prison hospital.
A 2019 coronial inquest determined that the officers involved weren’t motivated by malicious intent and shouldn’t have disciplinary action taken against them. To this day, his family rejects the coroner’s findings that Dungay died of natural causes.
George Floyd isn’t a “wake up call.” The same alarm has been ringing in this country since 1788 and again with David Dungay Jr. Justice isn’t just a guilty verdict. Dismantle the damn violent police forces.
— Taylah Gray (@Taylahmgray) April 20, 2021
“All I want is justice. I want real justice where the life of an Aboriginal man is worth something,” Leetona Dungay said yesterday.