A 34-year-old man has been charged with murder following the death of a 17-year-old girl in the remote Northern Territory community of Galiwin’ku on Elcho Island, about 550 kilometres east of Darwin.
Northern Territory Police allege the teenager died from blunt force injuries after an incident at a home earlier this week.
Emergency services were called to a residence in Galiwin’ku on Monday morning, where local police and staff from the community health clinic found the girl unconscious. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The man was arrested later that day, with detectives continuing their investigation throughout the week. He was formally charged with murder on Thursday following the completion of an autopsy.
Police Allege Domestic Relationship
Police said their investigation indicates the accused and the teenager were in a domestic relationship at the time of her death.
Detective Acting Superintendent Paul Lawson described the investigation as “complex” and confirmed that the post-mortem examination determined the girl had died from blunt force injuries.
“The autopsy wasn’t conducted until yesterday, and that gave us all the information we needed,” Lawson told reporters.
He said the circumstances surrounding the pair’s relationship and the events leading up to the girl’s death would form part of both the police brief for prosecutors and the report prepared for the coroner.
When asked whether the accused could face the Northern Territory’s recently introduced mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years without parole for domestic violence murder, Lawson said that would ultimately be a matter for the courts.
Community Mourns Teenager’s Death
Lawson extended condolences to those affected by the tragedy.
“A young woman has lost her life, and our thoughts are with her family and community,” he said.
He added that local police officers remained in Galiwin’ku and were working closely with the community in the aftermath of the incident.
The East Arnhem Regional Council also condemned the alleged killing, describing it as the “tragic loss of a 17-year-old Yolŋu girl.”
In a statement, council representatives said:
“Our council representatives are strong and united in making clear this violence does not reflect traditional Yolŋu culture and is completely unacceptable.”
Court Appearance
The 34-year-old man is scheduled to appear before the Darwin Local Court on Friday.
Police will also prepare a report on the teenager’s death for the Northern Territory Coroner.
The charge is an allegation, and the accused is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
