The family of a young West Australian Aboriginal woman who died in police custody are calling for immediate answers into her death.
Ms Dhu, 22, died in the custody of the Port Hedland police after she spent three days in the watch house on unpaid fines in early August.
She was taken to hospital twice after complaining of poor health, but was ruled fit to be incarcerated and was returned to the lock up.
Two witnesses in neighbouring cells said she was vomiting and yelling out in pain.
She was found unconscious in her cell on the third day and taken to the Hedland Health Campus where she was pronounced dead.
An autopsy has proven inconclusive, and her death is being investigated by the West Australian police’s internal affairs division.
Her family are calling for the mandatory coronial inquest, which can take several years to begin, to be brought forward because of the circumstances surrounding her death.
"We want truth and justice for our granddaughter and all others who have died in custody,” the Roe and Kelly families said in a statement.
“We want the state to be accountable for failing this young woman and their duty of care.
"We are overwhelmed with sadness as this young woman should be with us today.”
A spokesperson for the state’s Attorney General Michael Mischin, who stood by the policy of jailing fine defaulters shortly after Ms Dhu’s death, said the coroner decided when the inquest would be held.
“The Attorney General accepts that the coroner is awaiting the relevant medical and police records in order to begin its investigation,” she said.
The call for a speedy inquest comes as a memorial was held for 16-year-old Indigenous boy John Pat, who died in police custody 31 years ago after he was assaulted.
No-one was convicted over his death, but the outrage surrounding the events and subsequent exposure of other deaths in custody sparked the Royal Commission Into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.
John Pat’s relatives have echoed the Roe and Kelly families’ calls for a coronial inquest to be brought forward.
“For this young girl, you know, I just pray that something would be done for the family so they can have piece of mind,” Allery Sandy, John Pat’s aunt, said.
“They want answers. You know, they need answers.
“It didn't happen at a community, it didn't happen out on the street, it happened inside so give them the answers that they need.”
Noongar elder Ben Taylor said another Royal Commission into Indigenous deaths in custody needs to be held.
He said one of the 339 recommendations of the royal commission held between 1987 and 1991 was to only jail Indigenous people as a last resort.
That recommendation, along with the majority made by the commission, has not been adopted.
“There should be sobering up shelters, and places where they can sit down and talk to get medical treatment because Aboriginal people are dying on their feet when they go to those lockups,” he said.
“There's diabetes, heart disease and everything like that. They're just physically, mentally, spiritually bankrupt in every way.”
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