This morning on Let’s Talk, we spoke to the grandmother and uncle of Yamitji woman Ms Dhu in the first week of a coronial inquest into her death. Ms Dhu died in custody in a South Hedland watchhouse in August last year. It was revealed earlier this week in the inquest that her cries of pain were ignored by the doctors and correctional officers – who accused her of ‘faking it’ and believed she was ‘attention-seeking.’
Instead, Ms Dhu had broken ribs sustained during an altercation with her partner, and had died of staphylococcal septicemia and pneumonia. This had originated from an infection from the broken rib. She was a family violence victim and should not have been in prison, her mother has said.