An Indigenous leader has challenged the ACT government, saying if it had nothing to hide it would release footage of the alleged forcible strip search of a rape victim in Canberra's jail.
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At the request of government lawyers and against the wishes of the woman, video of the search was suppressed at a hearing in the ACT Supreme Court to consider if the 38-year-old should be given bail.
On Thursday, Justice Michael Elkaim refused to release her and suppressed publication of his reasons until after her trial.
In a letter describing the events of the search, the Indigenous woman and sexual assault survivor said she had become upset when told she couldn't go to her grandmother's funeral.
She was taken to a cell in the Crisis Support Unit where she was allegedly forcibly strip searched by four officers in full riot gear and in full view of male inmates.
"Here I ask you to remember I am a rape victim, so you can only imagine the horror, the screams, the degrading feeling," she wrote.
The woman had been on remand at the time.
Outside court on Thursday, chief executive of the Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service Julie Tongs accused the government of trying to cover up the strip search by having the footage suppressed.
"The incident involving the strip search of this extremely vulnerable, traumatised Aboriginal woman, with serious health issues and a survivor of rape should be a catalyst for change not a cover-up," she said.
The ACT has the highest Aboriginal incarceration rates in Australia, and among the highest rates of recidivism. An Indigenous person in the ACT is 19.4 times more likely to go to prison than a non-Indigenous person.
The ACT prison was built to be human-rights compliant but has been accused repeatedly of failing in that aim.
"The ACT government, with good cause, is petrified that the CCTV footage if made public will explode once and forever the depth of incompetence in the operation of the AMC and the insincerity of its claim that the prison is human rights compliant and that it cares about Aboriginal disadvantage," Ms Tongs said.
Ms Tongs also called for an independent investigation.
"Nothing else will satisfy the Aboriginal community or any fair minded person concerned to ensure that Aboriginal peoples are treated fairly and equally."
"As a first step, if the ACT government really does have nothing to hide, release the CCTV."
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