It is a well established fact that indigenous populations across the world are more likely to be ill treated by their justice system. Australia has for decades acknowledged the systemic problems that their Aboriginal people face when coming into contact with the legal system. Abuses, deaths in custody, wrongful convictions, all are more likely to have Indigenous people as victims. Now it seems there is yet another miscarriage of justice to be overturned by the appeal courts.
The brutal beating of a young white man, Josh Warneke on a highway in 2010 led to the arrest of Gene Gibson. From the remote Kiwirrkurra Aboriginal Community, Gibson pleaded guilty to manslaughter, after murder charges were downgraded after the video recordings of his police interrogation were ruled inadmissible when they had been conducted without an interpreter or lawyer present. Indeed the entire police investigation was the subject of an official inquiry, which led to 11 police officers facing action over their conduct. Gibson was sentenced to 7 and a half years in prison. Gibson’s lawyers are now seeking an appeal after more evidence was uncovered. Read more here….
Wrongful Convictions Blog 