The girl, who is being referred to as Kumanjayi Little Baby, went missing from her home near Alice Springs on Saturday last week. Photo / NT Police
The girl, who is being referred to as Kumanjayi Little Baby, went missing from her home near Alice Springs on Saturday last week. Photo / NT Police
A man has been charged with the murder of a 5-year-old Indigenous girl in a “deeply distressing” case that has sparked grief and anger across Australia.
The girl, who is being referred to as Kumanjayi Little Baby, was reported missing from her home in a remote Aboriginal community near theoutback town of Alice Springs late on Saturday last week.
Her disappearance prompted a major search on foot, horseback and by helicopter, before police located her body on Thursday, about 3km south of where she went missing.
The girl has been given the name Kumanjayi Little Baby in accordance with Indigenous custom, which discourages the use of a deceased person’s given name after death.
Soon after detectives found her body, suspect Jefferson Lewis, 47, was arrested. Lewis had been beaten unconscious after turning himself in to Indigenous community members.
“This is the tragic outcome we were all desperately hoping against,” he said. “No words can measure up to the immensity of the grief her family is going through.
“In their time of terrible loss, all Australians hold them in our hearts.”
Robin Granites, a spokesman for the family and an elder of the Warlpiri Indigenous group, called for calm in the community.
“It is time now for sorry business, to show respect for our family and have space for grieving and remembering,” he said in a statement.
“We need to be strong for each other, we must respect family and cultural practice.”
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