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Pressure mounts for inquest into Port Hedland triple murders as federal minister backs grandmother

Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy supports Dorothy Papertalk's call for a coronial inquest, while WA Attorney-General Tony Buti says he cannot intervene without fresh evidence

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time2 min
The federal Indigenous Australians Minister has voiced support for a grandmother's campaign for a coronial inquest into the deaths of three children murdered by their mother in Port Hedland in 2022, as the WA Attorney-General maintains he cannot overrule the coroner's decision without fresh evidence.

Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy said she supports Dorothy Papertalk's campaign for an inquest into the circumstances leading to the deaths of her three grandchildren in Port Hedland, Western Australia, in 2022.

"What I want to do ... is support Mrs Papertalk in terms of her grandchildren and wanting to have an inquest into what happened and the circumstances leading (to) that," McCarthy told News 24 on Monday. "There is something not right in that region," she added.

McCarthy urged the state Labor government to continue working with families on the ground to "get to the heart of these matters, especially around poverty and neglect".

But WA Attorney-General Tony Buti has said he cannot overrule the coroner's decision not to hold an inquest unless fresh evidence is brought forward, despite criticism from legal experts.

The children were killed by their Indigenous mother, Margaret Hawke, who was sentenced for the murders. Papertalk has been calling for a coronial inquest to examine the broader circumstances that may have contributed to the tragedy.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • The case highlights systemic issues in remote Indigenous communities, including poverty and neglect, that advocates say may not be adequately addressed by the criminal justice system alone.
  • A coronial inquest could uncover whether child protection or social services failed the children before their deaths, with potential implications for policy in remote regions.
  • The standoff between the federal minister's call for action and the state Attorney-General's insistence on legal process reflects tensions over accountability and the limits of ministerial power.

Background

Port Hedland is a remote mining town in Western Australia with a significant Indigenous population. The triple murder in 2022 drew national attention to family violence and welfare concerns in the region. The coroner declined to hold an inquest, a decision that legal experts have criticised as potentially limiting a full public examination of the circumstances.

Key Perspectives

Dorothy Papertalk (grandmother): Seeking a coronial inquest to establish what led to her grandchildren's deaths and to prevent future tragedies. Minister Malarndirri McCarthy: Supporting the call for an inquest and urging the state government to address poverty and neglect, indicating broader concerns about regional conditions. WA Attorney-General Tony Buti: Maintaining that the coroner's independence must be respected; intervention requires new evidence, reflecting a cautious legal approach.

What to Watch

  • Whether any new evidence emerges to prompt a reconsideration of the inquest decision.
  • The state government's response to the federal minister's call for deeper investigation.
  • Potential for broader reviews of Indigenous child welfare and family violence services in remote WA.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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