A former NSW Police officer has been charged with assaulting an Indigenous teenager in the state’s northern rivers in 2019 in a case the alleged victim’s family hoped would lead to a change in the way the government deals with policing and Indigenous people.
Vision of the incident appears to show the Bundjalung teenager walking home at night in September 2019 when three NSW police officers followed him and surrounded him before one appeared to strike him over the head.
On Monday, NSW Police announced in a statement that a former officer had been charged over the incident in Casino following an extensive review commenced in September 2019.
The now-40-year-old man, who was aged 39 and on duty at the time of the incident, has been issued with a court attendance notice for the offence of common assault.
He is no longer a member of the NSW police force and is due to face Lismore Local Court on 22 March.
In a separate proceeding last year, the Indigenous teenager from the state’s north coast, who was 17 at the time of the incident, brought civil proceedings against the state of NSW over the alleged assault.
Solicitor from Foott Law, Joe Fahey, who was appointed as legal counsel, said last June he hoped the civil case may lead to a change in the way the government deals with policing and Indigenous people.
He said at the time that the family hopes their actions can help protect other young Indigenous people.
“His grandma and his aunty and his mum – they’re all pretty upset about it all and hopefully it won’t resolve into the fact that it’s just another one of those things that keeps on going on,” he said.
“They’re hopeful that the steps they’re taking now will hopefully later to stop in the future.”
The civil case is due to resume later this year.
