re: the police of palm island remain losers in the
This is what a senoir police officer thinks about the case.
Ex-police officer quits public service over Mulrunji decision One of Australia's most highly decorated Aboriginal police officers says he is resigning from his Queensland public service role over the State Government's handling of the Palm Island death in custody.
Col Dillon retired after a 35-year career with the Queensland Police Service and has spent the past four years working on alcohol management plans with the Department of Community Service.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) last week ruled Mulrunji's death on Palm Island in 2004 was an accident, two months after a coroner determined a policeman was responsible.
Mr Dillon says he can no longer work for the Queensland Government.
"I've penned my resignation as a consequence of this Government's handling of Indigenous affairs," he said.
"I don't see that it will be doing anything in the future - it has done very little in the past.
Mulrunji's family seeks legal advice over DPP decision The family of a Palm Island man who died in police custody says it is seeking legal advice about the decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) not to charge an officer over the death.
The ruling by DPP Leanne Clare that the death was an accident has sparked community anger.
A coroner had ruled earlier this year that Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley was responsible for the death of Aboriginal man Mulrunji two years ago, but Ms Clare has decided not to charge him.
Brad Foster, a spokesman for Mulrunji's family, says there will be a community meeting to discuss the issue.
"Wednesday's open discussion with the mob over on Palm Island is a peaceful coming together, working out what the solutions are, how do we deal with those solutions," he said.
"We'll let the people know from a brief from our barrister about what position we'll be taking as a community in relation to the response that the DPP has now brought out."
Mr Foster says Queensland Premier Peter Beattie is invited to attend the community meeting.
"We would really like to send an invitation to the Premier to attend," he said.
"So me speaking on behalf of the ... family and also the community of Palm Island, we would sincerely like Peter Beattie to attend our friendly open discussion on Wednesday up on Palm Island."
Mr Beattie has said he will visit the island if invited, and wants to try to clear up the confusion surrounding the legal processes in the case.
He has asked the solicitor-general to provide a report explaining how the system works, without passing judgement on the decision.
"It'll be more an explanation of the circumstances, because look, I think there are seriously intelligent people who sort of say to me at the end of this, well hang on, a lot of people are not going to understand why a coroner does one thing and a DPP another," he said.
"Now that's not an unreasonable thing to conclude."
