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| home | news lNew autopsy casts doubt over deathBy Karen Michelmore 7 April 2005 - A grieving Aboriginal widow buried her husband for the second time in 20 years yesterday, after a new autopsy threw doubt on his cause of death. Surrounded by family, Letty Scott reburied her husband Douglas Bruce Scott in a Townsville cemetery, after his body was exhumed and an autopsy carried out in her quest for a review of a case she is convinced had racial overtones. Mr Scott, 26, was found hanged in a Darwin prison in July 1985 and a subsequent inquest found the circumstances were not suspicious. But Ms Scott is adamant her husband was tortured and killed by prison guards and has fought for a new inquiry since his death. Next week she will seek to have the inquest findings overturned in the Northern Territory Supreme Court and a new inquest ordered. Ms Scott has also launched private criminal charges, including murder, against three prison guards. Ms Scott said yesterday the autopsy, conducted at the weekend, showed her husband died a "brutal death". A report on the autopsy by Brazilian physician Jorge Paulete Vanrell, who travelled to Australia for the procedure, said lesions on the body were "consistent with torture procedures", including a fractured pelvis, probably from kicking. Other injuries included fractures "usually produced by hand strangulation", the report to be presented to the court said. "All lesions present were not inflicted by the victim himself," the report said. Ms Scott said she felt vindicated by the autopsy findings but let down by the Australian authorities who investigated the death. "I just feel it's left me like a wounded person," Ms Scott said. "I feel vindicated by God, he preserved the body. "(However) I can see that Douglas died a brutal death and it's very distressing to my children and I." Ms Scott said she wanted to leave Australia because she felt abandoned by the nation and its investigators. "I think we should leave so the world can see how Aboriginal people are really treated by Australia," she earlier told ABC radio. NT government solicitor Greg Macdonald said the autopsy report was just one of three reports by forensic pathologists to be presented in the case from the new autopsy. "The defendants consider it would be premature for anyone to reach any conclusion on the basis of one third of the reports," he said. The case is still being heard by the NT Supreme Court. Source: News.com.au Indigenous Social Justice Association pays tribute to Letty Scott's tenacity 7 April 2005 - We congratulate Ms Letty Scott, her Family and her supporters, of which the writer counts himself and this Association as being, towards their successful twenty year struggle for Justice. The family and the Indigenous Social Justice Association believes that Douglas Bruce Scott was beaten to death by four gaol officers at Berrimah Gaol, Darwin in July 1985 and the assault was covered up by Dr. Lee who was the pathologist at that time. Dr. Lee butchered the body of Douglas in an attempt to prevent the truth from coming out. But the truth is coming out. Letty was informed that she could have an exhumation of her late husband and a second autopsy performed by her own pathologist, Dr Jorge Paulete Vanell from Brazil, but only if she could pay for it. The Northern Territory Court had no intention of using State Funds to allow the truth to come to light. Why would they when the State, police, gaol authorities and judiciary have been actively working against that truth since Douglas’ murder. Through friends who believed in her case, Letty was able to get sufficient funding. The second autopsy, completed recently, found that Douglas had been tortured to death and had been manually strangled and then hung to make it look like suicide. The road to Justice is still ongoing. Letty must now return to the Northern Territory Supreme Court before Justice Angel and have the original Coronial Inquest overturned and the case re-opened. The road is still too long and many legal battles must yet be won to allow Justice for at least one Aboriginal Family. Letty, we salute your heart and your spirit. Source: Ray Jackson, Indigenous Social Justice Association Incorporated Death in custody autopsy finds signs of torture 6 April 2005 - A second autopsy examination of the body of an Aboriginal man who died in custody in Darwin 20 years ago has contradicted the findings of a coronial inquiry into his death. Douglas Bruce Scott died in Darwin's Berrimah Jail in 1985. Letty Scott alleges her husband was killed by four prison guards but the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and a coronial inquest found Mr Scott hanged himself. A second autopsy conducted on Mr Scott's body at the weekend found lesions that were consistent with torture procedures, like being kicked in the genital region, and with a facial blow and strangulation. Mrs Scott says it has been a difficult time for her family. "All of the family is distressed. Douglas's mother is very distressed because that was her son," she said. "We're all upset. My son's very distressed and my daughters and everyone here in Townsville is very distressed." The remains of Mr Scott were exhumed in Townsville in north Queensland at the weekend after his widow requested the autopsy. The autopsy was conducted by a team of forensic experts, including a specialist from Brazil. Mrs Scott says she has not received much support in Australia in regards to her claim and wants to leave the country. "I don't want to live in this country. This country, I don't want
to have anything to do with because you know how a refugee leaves their
motherland and goes and lives elsewhere, I think that we should leave
so the world can see how Aboriginal people are really treated by Australia,"
she said. related links :
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