A 47-year-old man, Jefferson Lewis, has been charged with murder and two counts of sexual assault following the death of a five-year-old girl in Alice Springs, Australia. The child, referred to as Kumanjayi Little Baby—a pseudonym used by her family for cultural reasons after her death—was reported missing on Saturday and her body was discovered on Thursday after a major police search.
Lewis was arrested on Thursday and is scheduled to appear in a Darwin court on Tuesday. Northern Territory Police Commissioner Martin Dole announced the charges on Sunday, calling the incident "deeply distressing" and urging the community to respect the judicial process.
The child's death sparked violent riots in Alice Springs, with dozens of protesters gathering outside the hospital where Lewis was being treated. Video footage shows people throwing projectiles, police using tear gas, and a police van set ablaze. Five people have been arrested in connection with the riots, which Commissioner Dole described as "disgusting" and "abhorrent."
In a statement, the girl's mother expressed her grief: "It is going to be so hard to live the rest of our lives without you. We know you are in heaven with the rest of the family and Jesus." The child's grandfather, Robin Granites, a senior Yapa elder, called for calm, saying, "What has happened this week is not our way. Our children are precious... This man has been caught, and we must now let justice take its course."
Police reported that property damage and stolen items from a petrol station and supermarket amount to over A$180,000 ($130,000). The riots led to Lewis being moved to a prison in Darwin, 1,500 km north of Alice Springs, for his safety.