It is surprising The Canberra Times chose to comment on a Queensland case, the death of Doomadgee (Editorial, December 18, p10. However, having elected to opine, it would have been preferable for a newspaper to have represented the interests of the people, and not the power elite of Queensland Police and the Queensland Director of Public Prosecutions.
A coroner found that Doomadgee died on Palm Island in police cells because he was assaulted by a policeman. If a coroner so finds, there is absolutely no room for a DPP to not charge the policeman with at least assault, if not manslaughter or murder, for there is an obviously reasonable prospect that a judge or jury could come to the same conclusion as the coroner.
Until the policeman is charged, Queensland justice is an oxymoron.
Bill Rowlings, Civil Liberties Australia, Fisher (Canberra Times letter)