Cassius Turvey was 15 years old when he died on Sunday from injuries related to a violent assault on 13 October in the Midland area.
Cassius and friends, wearing school uniforms, were allegedly attacked by men in a car who they said racially abused them and pursued them with weapons, a machete and metal pole.
Cassius, a big boy, couldn't run fast enough and was viciously beaten.
Jack Brearley, 21, who police allege was one of the assailants, has been charged with murder.
Cassius' family believes racism had a role to play in the incident.
Racial violence against Aboriginal people has a long history in the country.
The 1991 national inquiry Racist Violence found racial violence against Aboriginal people was endemic and widespread
SUPPORT THE TURVEY FAMILY HERE
The inquiry made important recommendations, largely ignored contrary to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Race Discrimination.
These include the need to nationally monitor race hate crimes, impose higher penalties where there is racial motivation in the commission of an offence, and enact new state and federal laws against race hate crimes.
In 2016, Elijah Doughty in Kalgoorlie was attacked by a vigilante who pursued him on rough terrain in his truck, dragged him under his vehicle inflicting horrific injuries.
The killer, a middle-aged white man whose identity was suppressed by the courts, was convicted of a road traffic offence by a jury which included no Aboriginal people.
Louis St John Johnson was murdered in 1992 on his 19th birthday.
Police charged several youth, English migrants, who'd been part of a racist group in England the National Action.
Louis' adopted father Bill Johnson said "my son died because he was Aboriginal. This is the most racist state in the world's most racist country."
Leslie Sampi was 20 years old, an intellectually disabled man killed in Broome in 1988 in what was described as "one of the most violent killings in WA criminal history".
The two white men charged with willful murder of Sampi were acquitted of the charges by an all-white jury.
John Pat died in 1983 after being kicked to death on the streets of Roebourne by off duty policeman.
They were charged with manslaughter but acquitted by an all-white jury.
Nathan Corbett was sitting outside a Midland pizza shop when racially abused and then attacked and killed.
He was 23 years old and a father of three.
Although the offender was convicted of murder the offence was described as "being at the lower end" even though the killer's motive was Nathan's race.
In 1995, best mates Phillip Vidot and Tyrone Williams were viciously bashed and repeatedly run over by older white youth in a park in Cannington.
Tyrone survived but Vidot didn't.
His family from the Seychelles asked "how can a jury reach a verdict of manslaughter when the defendants admitted going back to finish them off"?
Race hate crimes have never been taken seriously in our country.
Even now the police have made no public statements and only one of those involved in the attack on Cassius is charged.
In the US crimes involving racism are hate crimes and prosecuted as such.
In February this year the killers of Ahmoud Arberry, a 25-year-old African American man killed while jogging made international headlines.
The three men who murdered Ahmoud were convicted of federal race hate crimes. They killed him because of his race, two received life and a third was convicted of 35 years.
In the shock and the aftermath of Ahmoud's death, the state of Georgia passed its first ever hate crimes laws.
Cheryl Kickett Tucker knew Casisus, he was in her basketball program struggling to stay open even though it provides much needed support to Aboriginal youth in the Midland area.
"Cassius was an absolutely gorgeous human with a smile that lit up the path ahead of him," she said.
"I am going to miss him dearly."
Any efforts by our community and our supporters to ensure a legacy to remember the humility of Cassius is greatly appreciated.
This will help in the journey to heal the wounds of the young generation of friends, school mates, and basketball team who loved him for the gentle giant he was and will be remembered for.
Our hearts (hearts) are broken...
The family has set up a campaign #JusticeforCassius.
Cassius just lost his father in the month before.
His mother Mechelle Turvey and family are shattered and the Noongar community is reeling and scared for children.
The NIT encourages support for the Turvey family at this very sad time.
- Hannah McGlade is an Indigenous international human rights lawyer and member of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples.
