WARNING: Article contains distressing content and the names of Aboriginal people who have died.
A Sydney-based law firm says it is acting for Kumanjayi Dempsey, a 44-year-old mother of five who died in a police watch house in Tennant Creek last month.
"We extend our sincere condolences to Kumanjayi’s family, friends and loved ones and ask that their privacy be respected during this trying time," O'Brien Criminal and Civil Solicitors said in a statement.
The law firm expressed concern over the "inadequacy of the conditions" of cells in Tennant Creek Watch House while calling for the NT Government to be held accountable.
"We are concerned about the ongoing inadequacy of the conditions of cells in Tennant Creek Watch House, and Northern Territory detention facilities more broadly," the statement read.
"The NT Government must be held accountable."
Cause of death still unknown
The Northern Territory Police Force say an autopsy has been unable to determine the cause of Kumanjayi Dempsey's death in custody, more than a week after she was discovered unresponsive inside the Tennant Creek police watch house.
An autopsy on Friday listed her cause of death as undetermined, with further toxicology testing now underway.
Northern Territory Police Assistant Commissioner Peter Malley said investigations indicate that the woman suffered a "medical incident".
“While further testing is required to determine a formal cause of death, the current information suggests that the woman suffered a medical event alone in her cell," he said.
What happened on 27 December 2025?
The Tennant Creek mother was found unresponsive in her cell at 1:03pm on December 27, 2025.
Police say she was arrested and charged over an incident on Christmas day and had spent almost two days in the watch house before her death.
Assistant Commissioner Malley said told media CCTV footage showed Ms Dempsey falling to the ground at 12:34pm, minutes after a routine cell check. She was found unresponsive at the next cell check half an hour later.
Unlike other watch houses in the Northern Territory, no nurse is stationed at the Tennant Creek watch house and health assessments are preformed by police.
The Assistant Commissioner said Ms Dempsey presented no visible injuries and made no disclosures about underlying health conditions when she was admitted to the watch house.
Concerns over 'inadequate medical care'
The NT's peak Aboriginal Legal Service has raised concerns over "inadequate medical care" in territory police watch houses.
The North Australia Aboriginal Justice Agency Chairperson, Theresa Roe, told NITV it is "not sufficient" for police to preform medical assessments.
"Relying on police to obtain and discuss health information with someone they’ve recently arrested is a system doomed to failure," Ms Roe said.
Ms Roe said the legal service receives regular complaints about medical care in police watch houses including "clients denied access to the custody nurse for lengthy periods, medical issues going untreated or being denied (or unable to access) medication."
"It is crucial to have an independent, health trained person speak with every individual taken into custody," Ms Roe said.
Last November, an investigation into condition in NT watch houses by the NT Ombudsman described conditions as “unreasonable and oppressive", while identifying shortcomings in health care access for those detained.
The investigation spanned four months from November 2024 to February 2025, following a surge in prisoner numbers after the CLP government legislated changes to bail conditions.
In early December 2025, the Northern Territory Government faced criticism after a United Nations working group was blocked from accessing youth prisons, detention centres and watch houses in the NT.
In a statement to SBS News, NT Corrections Minister Gerard Maley said this was due to "operational capacity, safety and workforce resourcing priorities" during this time.
Calls for an independent investigation
The North Australia Aboriginal Justice Agency Chief Executive, Ben Grimes, told NITV that internal police investigations are not sufficient following an Aboriginal death in custody.
"Aboriginal families and communities have repeatedly said they do not trust a system where police are effectively investigating themselves after a death," Mr Grimes told NITV.
It builds on ongoing calls for investigations into Aboriginal deaths in custody to be independent of police, following the death in police custody of a 24-year-old Kumanjayi White in Alice Springs.
Kumanjayi White, a Warlpiri man with disabilities, died after being restrained by two plain-clothed police officers at a supermarket in Alice Springs in May last year.
After more than seven months, the NT Director of Public Prosecutions has not confirmed if charges will be laid against the two officers involved and both remain on duty in administrative roles.
"Independent, transparent investigations are critical, not only to uncovering the truth, but also to maintaining community trust and preventing future deaths," Mr Grimes said.
The deaths of the 44-year-old Tennant Creek woman and 24-year-old Kumanjayi White will be subject to a coronial inquest lead by the NT Coroner.
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