Charges are expected today for Alice Springs child murder suspect Jefferson Lewis, over the death of 5-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby. Photo / NT Police
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this contains images and names of a deceased person.
Charges against Jefferson Lewis, the suspected killer of a 5-year-old girl in the Northern Territory, are expected to be laid on Saturday.
The 47-year-old was arrested on Thursday night over the alleged murder of Kumanjayi Little Baby days after she was last seen by her family at their home at Old Timers Camp on the outskirts of Alice Springs on Saturday evening.
The young girl’s body was found near the banks of the Todd River, just 5km south of her home earlier that day.
Following days of unrest in the Northern Territory, the state’s Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro says she expects Lewis, who she described as a “monster”, will be charged on Saturday.
“We’re expecting police to lay charges today … obviously [police] are being left to do their important work and no one wants to jeopardise anything that gets in the way of bringing the person who did this to justice,” she told Sunrise on Saturday morning.
“But I think Territorians and Australians who are incredibly invested in this outcome would expect to see police make a move today.”
Following Lewis’ arrest, about 400 people rioted outside the Alice Springs Hospital on Thursday night, where the suspect was being treated for critical injuries.
Police stood outside the hospital, holding riot shields, as crowds threw rocks, set bins on fire and torched cars.
Officers deployed tear gas and rubber bullets to try to disperse the crowd.
Senator Jacinta Price said the conditions of town camps surrounding Alice Springs had been ignored for too long and many had become dangerous places, particularly for children.
Writing in The Australian, Price said there was a constant movement of people coming and going from the camps, including individuals with long criminal histories.
The senator said alcohol restrictions were not being enforced, while camps were overcrowded, poorly maintained and lacked adequate oversight.
“These are not new observations. The town camp now at the centre of this case is one I know well. It is a place where I have lost family. A niece was stabbed to death there. Another child in my extended family was killed in an accident at the front of that same camp. There have been too many lives lost in that place alone,” she wrote.
The senator called for greater scrutiny around funding, raising concerns about accountability and called for an independent inquiry.
“Not only into the circumstances surrounding this case, but into the broader conditions that allow such vulnerability to persist,” she said.
“That includes the governance of town camps, the role of organisations responsible for their upkeep, and whether current laws and enforcement mechanisms are adequate to protect the most vulnerable. Because if they are not, they must change.
“Too often, difficult conversations are avoided. There is a reluctance to speak plainly about what is happening in some communities. Silence does not protect anyone, including women, children and families such as (Kumanjayi’s).
“We cannot continue to accept a situation where environments of known risk remain unchanged. Where warning signs are visible, but action is delayed. Where funding is substantial, but outcomes fall short.”
Opposition leader Angus Taylor told Sky News it was a tragic situation that deserved an honest discussion, urging the Government to stop denying the situation in Alice Springs and other places.
“It’s the denial that has led us to this place where people aren’t prepared to have honest conversations about the state of affairs in our town camps and what options there are to address it,” he said.
“There is violence going on, there’s [alleged] sexual violence. We took to the last election a proposal for a royal commission, an independent inquiry into sexual abuse and violence in these communities and we still think that is something that needs to be addressed.”
National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People Sue-Anne Hunter also called for an inquiry into how Lewis was released.
“We call for a wider investigation into the correctional systems that led to his release,” she said.
But Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy said it was not the time to hold an inquiry.
“Now’s the time to come together as a community in sorry business and be with this mum and her son as they prepare to bury their daughter,” Senator McCarthy told ABC.
Community grieving death of little girl
The community has been rocked by the little girl’s death.
Flowers and tribute cards have been laid at the camp where Kumanjayi Little Baby vanished last Saturday evening.
The family of Kumanjayi Little Baby issued a statement following the discovery of her remains.
“To Kumanjayi Little Baby, me and Ramsiah miss and love you,” they said.
“I know you are in heaven with the rest of the family with Jesus and the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
“Me and your brother will meet you one day.
“We are giving our lives to Jesus.
“It is going to be so hard to live the rest of our lives without you.
“Ramsiah wants to tell you that when he sees you in heaven, he is going to give you the biggest hug ever.
“Love from Mum and Ramsiah.”
Sign up to Herald Premium Editor’s Picks, delivered straight to your inbox every Friday. Editor-in-Chief Murray Kirkness picks the week’s best features, interviews and investigations. Sign up for Herald Premium here.