Barnett promises Dhu inquest to be held 'mid-year'

The Premier has confirmed an inquest into the death of a Port Hedland woman who died in custody will begin mid-year.

Colin Barnett met with the family of Ms Dhu, whose first name is not used for cultural reasons, for approximately an hour this morning.

Emerging from the meeting, Mr Barnett said he was confident the coronial inquest would reveal the “full truth”.

“I don’t think anyone knows the full truth but I have reassured the family that the coronial inquiry will detail exactly what happened…and any failings in government administration,” he said.

“I apologise for that if that has happened but we need to learn from this sad experience.

“The coronial inquiry is very high level inquiry with extensive powers and I have no doubt the coroner will use those powers - this is an important case, a sad case but an important case.”

The announcement of an inquiry comes more than eight months after Ms Dhu died on August 4 last year, three days after being jailed in the South Hedland watch house over unpaid fines of $1000.

After being denied access to the cell yesterday, during the meeting, the Premier placed a call to allow Ms Dhu’s grandmother Carol Roe, mother Della Roe and sister Sherona Roe to visit the place she spent her final hours.

Mr Barnett said he was not aware of the family’s request to accompany them on a visit to the South Hedland lockup and Hedland Health Campus yesterday.

“Their immediate request was that they could say goodbye where they believe she passed away,” he said.

“I think that is a fair and reasonable request, perhaps unusual but we were able to arrange that this morning.

“They will be able to have a private visit to the cell…that will allow them to say goodbye to their daughter as they wish to.”

Mr Barnett said there needed to be a greater recognition of cultural factors when Aboriginal people were placed under arrest or in a cell.

His comments appeared a direct response to the family’s calls yesterday for all government departments who deal with people in custody to have cultural procedures in place to deal with a death in custody.

“What will come out of this case will be changes in the protocols and procedures particularly dealing with Aboriginal people who are placed in custody,” Mr Barnett said.

“A greater recognition of cultural factors, a greater recognition of family and the need to keep family advised, probably also some liaison between police if they have someone in custody and the hospital healthcare.”

Mr Barnett said there would be “significant reform” to ensure that fewer indigenous people were “locked up” over relatively minor offences such as fine defaults.

He said the government was looking at adopting a notification service.

In response to questioning, Mr Barnett said there was no case for police officers to be stood down over the death.

“No there not a case for that – there has been a very thorough investigation by police internally and all of that evidence and report goes to the coroner,” he said.

“I have absolute confidence in the coroner’s inquiry and I believe the family members do – they want it to be get underway, to be thorough and to get to the truth – I have no doubts that this is what will happen.”

Following the meeting, Ms Dhu’s mother and grandmother and mother thanked Mr Barnett.

“I would just like to say thank you for meeting us and coming to the terms where we have to do to get to that cell – thank you very much,” her mother Della Roe said.