Eyewitnesses reported that the man stopped breathing while remaining on the ground. Despite paramedics’ emergency efforts, he was declared dead at the scene.

“He was disabled and a participant in the NDIS. He was hungry and was under state guardianship – under the care and responsibility of the Minister. It was the state that caused his death,” stated Debbie Kilroy, a prominent prison abolition activist with the National Network.

“We are horrified, but not surprised,” said Tabitha Lean, a network spokesperson and campaigner against the incarceration of First Nations women.

Both Kilroy and Lean are currently present in Mparntwe, offering support to the community and advocating for urgent systemic changes, including an independent investigation free from police involvement and investments in community-managed and culturally safe support systems.