Latest death in custody sparks anger

11 Mar 2010, 6:31 pm   -   Source: AAP
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Queensland's corrective services minister has promised a thorough investigation into claims an Aboriginal man died after being denied medical care in jail.

A Queensland prison chaplain angry over the death in custody of a teenager has accused officers of treating the boy differently because he was Aboriginal.

Sheldon Currie, 18, died in Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital in February, four days after he was taken there from the Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre.

Indigenous activists claim jail staff ignored his repeated requests for medical care while he was in jail.

They say he became progressively worse and ended up on life support in hospital but he could not be saved.

His death has been referred to the coroner.

Aboriginal prison chaplain, the Reverend Alex Gater, told reporters at a rally outside Parliament House in Brisbane on Thursday a white person in a similar situation "would have been treated differently".

"It's a national disgrace," she said.

"This is appalling and shocking. This is criminal, this needs to be exposed."

Mr Currie's mother Donna Smith, who also attended the rally, said she was denied access to her son the night before he died.

"I was sleeping on the floor in the hospital, then I was turned away from his bed the night before I lost him," she said.

"I don't know (why), because he was a prisoner I suppose. But he couldn't do anything or hurt anyone."

Corrective Services Commissioner Kelvin Anderson said officers had responded properly and there were no suspicious circumstances.

"We responded appropriately to this man's health needs and we were very responsive to the needs of the family after this tragic event," Mr Anderson said.

"My understanding is that he was fully assessed and he had the treatment that was needed.

"He was seen by medical staff on three occasions on three consecutive days."

Mr Currie's death comes at a sensitive time for Queensland's Aboriginal community.

A third inquest is currently under way in north Queensland into the 2004 death in custody of Palm Island man Cameron Doomadgee.

But Ms Smith said she didn't want to turn her son's death into an issue of race.

"No, it's not racist. I just want to know what happened. He was only a boy," she said.

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