Footage of a 13-year-old Aboriginal girl being pinned to the floor and thrown into a train seat by an off-duty WA Police officer is "deeply disturbing and unsettling to watch", Australia's Indigenous child commissioner says.
The video shows the officer restraining the girl on the train floor before throwing her into a seat, causing her to hit her head on the window. The incident has sparked public outcry.
The response from police has further fuelled criticism, after authorities did not comment for a day before confirming the girl had been charged with common assault and issued a juvenile caution.
Sarah*, who spoke to National Indigenous Times with permission from her family, said she suffered a lump on her head and ongoing pain in her back and neck in the days following Sunday's incident. She said the officer should be investigated and dismissed.
"If he wants to be racist, I want him to lose his job," she said.
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In a statement on Friday afternoon, National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People Sue-Anne Hunter condemned the "use of unreasonable force" by the officer.
"This is a representation of the violence that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people can face every day. As a nation, we have work to do to better protect them," she said.
Commissioner Hunter said the work of the commission — legislated earlier this year — is grounded in the "protection and promotion of the rights and well-being" of Indigenous children and young people.
"This video is an example of the damaging entrenched colonial attitudes towards First Nations peoples, which leads to our children being demonised and dehumanised," she said.
"The National Commission called on the Western Australian police to immediately conduct an investigation into this matter. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people have the right to feel safe in their communities."
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Katie Kiss said the incident "highlights further our calls for a federal mechanism to conduct independent investigations into both deaths in custody and critical incidents".
"There must be accountability for those in positions of authority and power who use unnecessary force or cause harm or death," she said.
A WA Police spokesperson told National Indigenous Times: "Relevant evidentiary material, including Public Transport Authority CCTV, has been obtained and is being reviewed by the WA Police Force as part of standard process."
WA Police Minister Reece Whitby said the government expects "all WA Police officers to always act with professionalism and appropriate judgement".
"This matter is under review as is standard practice, including internal processes and CCTV, and it's important those inquiries run their course," Mr Whitby said.
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In an editorial on Friday, this publication criticised what it described as a perception of two-tiered policing.
It pointed to the difference in police conduct during the arrest of alleged terrorist Liam Alexander Hall — who was calmly approached and escorted by officers after an alleged bombing attempt on January 26 — and the treatment of Sarah on Sunday, which a bystander described as an "unnecessary escalation" by a much larger officer.
"One situation involved allegations carrying a potential life sentence. The other involved a 13-year-old girl caught up in a minor altercation after trying to help her friend," the editorial read.
"Only one was met with force. The difference is plain. One is a white adult man. The other is an Aboriginal child."
*Not her real name
