The family of a Yamatji woman who was shot dead by a police officer two years ago has called for change, saying they are distressed by last week's verdict acquitting him of murder.
After a three-week trial, a jury took just three hours last week to find the police officer not guilty of the murder or manslaughter of 29-year-old JC on a street in the WA mid-north town of Geraldton in 2019.
"I'm so disgusted in it, really, really disgusted," JC's mother Anne Jones told The Point.
"It just really hurt me."
She says she still doesn't know how to explain the jury's decision to JC's young son.
"Since Friday he's asking why didn't that police officer go to jail, why?
"We can't explain it. All we can say is he got out and that's it.
"There's nothing more we can say."
The family of JC say they are devastated by last week's acquittal of the police officer over her death two years ago. Source: NITV The Point
Calls for change
The court heard a concerned relative called police for a welfare check on JC, who was distressed in the period leading up to her death.
"Don't ever ask for a welfare check on your family when they're in a mental health state, don't ever," Ms Jones said.
She called for the lifting of a suppression order on the police officer's identity, and for him to not be allowed to continue on the police force.
"My opinion is that he shouldn't go back into the police force," she said.
"What's going to happen (if he) gets confronted by somebody else like that? He's going to go bang."
The West Australian Police Commissioner Chris Dawson described the case as one of the most difficult in the state's turbulent history between Aboriginal people and the police.
He declined The Point's request for an interview about the verdict and the way forward.
Human rights advocate Megan Krakouer says the system needs to change, with greater support for people leaving prison. Source: NITV The Point
Greater support needed for ex-prisoners: advocate
Human rights advocate Megan Krakouer called for police to try harder to improve the relationship with the Aboriginal community.
"Right now what I'm seeing is tokenistic gestures, and in many cases what they cried out for in Geraldton, why raise Aboriginal flags, why have things which are symbolic, (when you) are taking our lives," she said.
"There's a lot of frustration, there's a lot of outcry right across the nation because when we're dealing with black deaths in custody, we're close to 500 Aboriginal people that have passed away since the Royal Commission in 1991."
She also called for greater support for people leaving prisons, to help them reintegrate into the community.
"She was in prison for two years - where was the support, where was the care leaving a prison," Ms Krakouer said.
"It has to be about rehabilitation, it can't be punitive and it can't be about retribution.
"When you leave a prison, you should leave with that support."
JC's sister Bernadette Clarke says she misses her sister dearly. Source: NITV The Point
Shocked and overcome
JC's sister Bernadette Clarke was overwhelmed by the verdict, after temporarily relocating to Perth for the trial.
"The jury up there had no Aboriginal people," she told reporters outside court after the verdict.
"They only had white man."
She said she misses her sister deeply.
"I miss everything about her. It’s all so confusing, just losing her the way we did," she said.
An inquest will be held into JC's death.
For more on this story, tune into The Point tonight on NITV at 7.30, or later on SBS and SBS On Demand.
