Police withdraw charge against Aboriginal academic

June 7, 2000
Issue 
408

Police withdraw charge against Aboriginal academic

BY BILL MASON

POLICE HAVE dropped charges against a prominent Aboriginal academic whom they strip-searched and jailed after she allegedly accused a police officer of "acting like the Ku Klux Klan".

On May 31, Townsville police withdrew a complaint "in the spirit of reconciliation" against Gracelyn Smallwood in which she was accused of insulting police officer Louise Egerton on February 11.

Smallwood was arrested after trying to intervene on behalf of an Aboriginal youth and an elder, Renarta Prior, outside the Sovereign Hotel where police had been called to a disturbance.

Smallwood said outside the court on May 31, "I'm very pleased that there has been a compromise on both sides in the spirit of reconciliation, but not to forget that reconciliation cannot occur without justice, and I believe justice has been done".

Smallwood is still seeking legal advice about taking civil action against police, saying she suffered spinal injuries from being thrown into the back of a police van.

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