Violence broke out outside an Australian hospital on Thursday night after a man suspected of murdering a five-year-old girl was brought in for treatment. Jefferson Lewis was arrested late Thursday in Alice Springs following a community sighting and reportedly sustained injuries in an attack before police took him into custody.
Video footage shows dozens of people gathering outside the town's hospital, hurling projectiles at police, who responded with tear gas. The crowd, estimated at about 400 Aboriginal people, demanded that Lewis face traditional "payback" under Aboriginal law, accusing authorities of shielding him, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Chants called for his death for the alleged assault on the girl, identified only as Kumanjayi Little Baby for cultural reasons.
Northern Territory Police Commissioner Martin Dole told the ABC that Lewis was unconscious when officers found him. Approximately 200 people turned on police and paramedics as they responded to reports that Lewis was being assaulted. Several emergency services personnel were injured, but no arrests have been made in connection with the disorder. Dole condemned the hospital scenes as "not acceptable" and not representative of the community's behavior over the past five days.
Lewis has been flown to Darwin and remains in police custody, with charges expected in the coming days. Forensic tests to confirm the girl's identity and cause of death continue Friday. The girl's body was discovered on Thursday after she vanished from an Aboriginal town camp near Alice Springs on Saturday. Lewis had been released from prison six days before her disappearance.
In a statement, the girl's mother expressed her grief and thanks to searchers: "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." Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro praised the tireless efforts of around 200 people who searched for the girl over five days, saying the outcome was devastating for everyone.
Warning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers: this article contains references to someone who has died.