Warning: This story contains the name and images of a deceased Indigenous person.
Violence broke out outside Alice Springs Hospital on Thursday night after the arrest of a man accused of killing a five-year-old girl, with police describing the scenes as “absolute anarchy”.
Around 400 people gathered outside the hospital shortly after 47-year-old Jefferson Lewis was taken there for treatment following his arrest. Officers alleged Lewis had been violently assaulted by members of the community before police intervened at a town camp in Alice Springs.
Northern Territory Police Commissioner Martin Dole said officers were called to the camp about 9.30pm after reports Lewis was being attacked. Police arrested him despite also facing assaults during the operation.
Lewis had been the subject of an extensive police search after the body of five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby was discovered near the Todd River earlier on Thursday, following several days of searching.
Police said crowds gathered outside the hospital demanding access to Lewis, with tensions escalating as protesters attempted to enter the building. Officers used tear gas and rubber bullets after projectiles were thrown, police vehicles were damaged and several cars were set alight.
The unrest lasted for around five hours and caused significant damage, including to four of the town’s five ambulance vehicles, which authorities said would affect emergency services.
Commissioner Dole acknowledged the grief felt by the community but condemned the violence, saying attacks on police and emergency workers were unacceptable. He said the disturbance contrasted sharply with the community’s earlier efforts to assist in the search for the missing child.
Lewis was later flown to Darwin under police custody and remains detained. Authorities said tensions remained high, though the situation had stabilised by Friday morning.
The child disappeared from Old Timers Aboriginal Town Camp on Saturday night, with police alleging Lewis took her while she was sleeping. Her body was found near the Todd River, approximately five kilometres from the camp. The cause of death has not yet been confirmed.
Federal Labor senator Malarndirri McCarthy urged calm, calling for the justice process to proceed without disruption. Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said the loss had deeply affected the community, particularly after days of hope during the search effort.
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald
