‘WE JUST WANT TO MOVE ON’
DEATH IN CUSTODY FAMILY RESPOND TO PALM ISLAND PAYOUT
FOR 14 years Valmai Aplin and Jane Doomadgee put their lives on hold to mark their brother’s memorial date.
Their brother, Cameron “Mulrunji” Doomadgee, died in police custody on Palm Island in November, 2004.
He was 36 and his death sparked riots a week later.
A class action was triggered when the Federal Court ruled in 2016 that the conduct of certain police officers during the riots contravened the Racial Discrimination Act 1975.
This week the State Government announced it would pay $ 30 million to the 447 claimants and offer an apology.
All Valmai, 49, wanted was for her brother’s name to be left on the pages of history.
“Hopefully this is the last time his name’s being mentioned,” she said from her Palm Island home.
“It’s been hard. I’m still suffering from post traumatic stress now and my sister’s health is dropping.
“We personally go through grief every day since he died.”
Valmai said she only re- cently realised how much she missed her younger brother, having battled on to look after her family.
She said it had taken a long time to even talk about Cameron’s death, but she was slowly piecing her life back together.
“I get out, I go to a women’s group now and try to meet people,” Valmai said.
“It took a long time to do that.”
She didn’t know much about the settlement an- nouncement and said she had been a bit surprised when she heard.
She was grateful to the work of activist Lex Wotton and everyone else involved in the long fight for compensation.
“If they hadn’t done it I think it might’ve been swept under the rug,” Valmai said.
She said the tension was still evident on the island and there were issues with younger generations who were now battling their own alcohol and violence issues.
She hoped the community would use any settlement funds for constructive causes like improving education and buying their own homes.
“I hope they do the right thing,” she said.
Valmai even hoped some would make an effort to pay tribute to her brother, sad- dened that only 20 people attended his memorial last year.
“No amount of money brings him back. We’ve got to live with that forever,” she said.
Valmai said she was told Cameron had fallen down the stairs and broken a rib.
When she found out the truth she returned to Palm Island permanently.
She said the apology would give some closure, but it would never make up for their pain.
“We just want to be left alone and left to move on,” Valmai said.
“But at least his name won’t be mentioned any more.”
Jane, 53, said the settlement and apology were too little too late.
“It’ll be normal for everybody else, but it won’t be for us,” Jane said.
WE PERSONALLY GO THROUGH GRIEF EVERY DAY SINCE HE DIED. VALMAI APLIN