From the West Oz:
Narrogin man’s ‘assault’ was racist: family
20th September 2008The alleged taunting and beating of an Aboriginal man by up to 20 people outside a hotel in Narrogin highlights the growing racism problem blighting the Wheatbelt town, according to the man’s family.
Narrogin Aboriginal Community Reference Group chairwoman Priscilla Kickett, who is alleged victim Warren Kickett’s sister, said racism was contributing to a sense of despair and hopelessness felt by many young Nyoongar men and fuelling the town’s high suicide rate.
In the past six months, at least four young Nyoongar men have taken their lives.
At a community meeting in June, Aboriginal and community leaders claimed Nyoongar people were increasingly being ignored by health services which were not equipped to meet their cultural needs.
Ms Kickett said yesterday that despite years of hard work by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal residents and a range of government departments, indigenous people were still treated like secondclass citizens and struggled to gain access to health and community services.
She said the reference group was being told of an increasing number of incidents in which Aboriginal people were verbally abused by business owners, employers and colleagues.
“Racism has always been here, but this is the worst it has ever been,” Ms Kickett said. “Aboriginals in this town are still treated as second-class citizens.
“We were thinking we were moving ahead, very slowly but still moving ahead, and this happens and it is like a punch in the guts.”
It is alleged Mr Kickett was taunted and beaten by a group of up to 20 non-Aboriginal men and women outside Narrogin’s Duke of York hotel last Saturday. Police allege Mr Kickett became upset and punched a 20-year-old man who he believed made some of the comments.
Another man in the group used his mobile phone to call Edwin Staphorst for help. It is alleged Mr Staphorst, 52, arrived outside the hotel and assaulted Mr Kickett with a baseball bat.
Mr Kickett was arrested at the scene. He was treated for bruising and charged with damage and assault. Mr Staphorst was charged several days later with assault and possessing an article with intent to injure.
Ms Kickett claimed police action in detaining only her brother at the scene was an indication of an underlying racism in the town which ran so deep that most of the community no longer challenged it.
“If you were visiting Narrogin you would not see it, but when you live here and live among it every day the racism is undeniable,” Ms Kickett said. “But we grew up here, we are not going away and we are prepared now to stand up for what we want in our community.”
Narrogin officer-in-charge Sen-Sgt Martin Voyez dismissed allegations of racism against his officers, saying their first priority was to diffuse the violent situation. He said police had to delay charging anyone else over the brawl until they had time to interview all of the witnesses.
Sen-Sgt Voyez said he believed the brawl was an isolated incident. He denied there was racial tension in the town. Mr Kickett and Mr Staphorst will appear in Narrogin Magistrate’s Court next month.
