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An Open, Public Inquiry into Veronica Baxter’s death NOW
  1. Signatures
    909 out of 1,000
    Petitioning
    1. Minister for Corrective Services (The Hon. Phillip Costa MP)
  2. Created By
    CAAH (Community Action against Homophobia)
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates
Why This Is Important

Australia has a long history of mistreating Aboriginals, the original inhabitants of this land, and the indigenous people of our land, with whom we have shown little respect.

Our current Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, made a public apology to the Aboriginal people, but how much change has really taken place? Aboriginal deaths in custody, commonly referred to as Black deaths in custody, are on ongoing problem for our country. The recent case of T.J. Hickey who also died in custody, caused major uproar and recieved some international attention even, but yet the government refuses to teach this issue seriously and yet again another death has occured.

An Aboriginal trans-woman, Ms Baxter was placed in an all male, maximum security jail and was found hung in her cell on March 16th 2009, only six days after her arrival. She is another black death in custody. Over a year later, no Coroner's Report has yet revealed the cause of death. We call on the NSW Government to conduct a full, open inquiry into Ms Baxter's death.

To have Ms Baxter, as a Tran-woman, placed in an all male maximum security jail, is a grave misjudgement on its own. To then have her die within six days is absolutely questionable, and deserves investigation. This is an injustice effecting not only the Indigenous community, but the LGBTI community aswell.

The Corrective Services Minister of the time, John Robertson, was questioned as to the investigation into her death, and gave us no information, and to this day we still don't know whats happened, and the government have remained unaccountable. So now we call on the new minister, The Hon. Phillip Costa MP, to conduct a full enquiry, and provide Ms Baxters family with some closure, and show that this government is accountable for what happens in its jurisdiction.

Australian Greens Member Sylvia Hale has been asking the government the same questions, and you can find more info at her site (http://www.sylviahale.org.au/news/corrective-services-out-of-control)

Thankyou for joining us to the send the message to the government that every black death in custody is unacceptable.

Recent Signatures

An Open, Public Inquiry into Veronica Baxter’s death NOW

Greetings, The Hon. Phillip Costa MP, Minister for corrective se

Minister, On March 27 last year, Veronica Baxter, a.k.a. Paris, was found hanging in her cell at Silverwater, the all male & maximum security jail. As a trans-woman her placement in the all male jail seems questionable, and the fact that her death was only six days after imprisonment, also makes this a questionable case that deserves investigation. Yet, over a year later, there has still been no full and open inquiry into her death. This letter is part of a petition that is asking that a full, open inquiry be conducted into her death, and also into the system and its procedures, which allowed this death to occur. With previous deaths such as those of T.J. Hickey also causing controversy, and with the innaction on this case for over a year through you and your predessor, the time to act is NOW!

The National government, led by Kevin Rudd, apologised verbally for the mistreatment of our Aboriginal people, yet the mistreatment still continues, and actions speak louder than words. It is time for us to be true to our word of reconciliation, to our commitment to justice for the wrongs of Australia's past. The NSW government owes it Ms Baxter, to her family, and her community, to conduct an open and fully disclosed inquiry into the circumstances of her death, and also has a responsibility to investigate the systems that allowed this to happen. We need to make sure this doesn't happen again! I call on you to conduct an open Inquiry into Ms Baxters Death, and ensure the system is changed so the likelyhood of this happening again can be diminished.

I look forward to seeing your action on this issue.

[Your name]