Aboriginal woman dies in Tennant Creek watch house, calls for independent investigation
A 44-year-old Aboriginal woman, mother of five, died in the Tennant Creek watch house on 27 December after being arrested on 25 December for an alleged aggravated assault. Police report that the death appears to be a medical episode.
The Northern Territory Police major crime unit is investigating the death with oversight from the Professional Standards Command. A postmortem was due to be conducted but the results have not yet been released.
The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) is calling for an independent and transparent investigation, arguing that internal police investigations are insufficient to ensure accountability and public confidence. The Tennant Creek watch house currently lacks an on-duty custody nurse; detainees undergo a police health assessment and the woman was reportedly deemed fit for custody with no observable injuries.
A 2012 coronial inquiry following a death in Alice Springs recommended custody nurses in watchhouses, but Tennant Creek has not had a custody nurse on site.
NT Police acting assistant commissioner Peter Malley stated that the death is being treated seriously and that the Crime Command is investigating with oversight from Professional Standards and Cultural Reform Commands, defending police-led investigations into deaths in custody.
It is understood the woman suffered from rheumatic heart disease, a condition disproportionately affecting Indigenous Australians.
In 2024-25 there were 113 deaths in custody, of which 33 were Indigenous (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander), marking the highest Indigenous death count in a 12-month period since 1979.
