Ms Dhu's death in custody for unpaid fines exposed systemic failures in the treatment of Aboriginal Australians by police and medical staff, prompting legal reforms in Western Australia.
Key Facts
- Age at death
- 22 years old
- Date of death
- 4 August 2014
- Cause of death
- Infection from broken ribs sustained three months earlier
- Officers found in misconduct
- 11
- Custody Notification Scheme operational
- October 2019
- Fine-imprisonment law abolished
- June 2020
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Julieka Dhu was arrested on 2 August 2014 in South Hedland, Western Australia, after police discovered an outstanding warrant for unpaid fines when responding to a domestic incident. She was ordered to serve four days in custody in lieu of paying the debt, despite having untreated injuries — broken ribs inflicted by her partner three months prior — that had led to a serious internal infection.
While detained, Dhu repeatedly complained of severe pain and was twice transported to Hedland Health Campus, where medical staff dismissed her symptoms as exaggerated and linked to drug withdrawal. On 4 August 2014, when she said she could no longer stand, police accused her of faking her condition, handcuffed her, and carried her to their van. She was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital for the second time.
An internal police inquiry found 11 officers guilty of misconduct or regulatory breaches, resulting only in written and oral warnings. A coronial inquest concluded she had received inhumane treatment influenced by racial bias. Its recommendations led to a Custody Notification Scheme becoming operational in October 2019 and legislative amendments ending imprisonment for unpaid fines, implemented in June 2020.