Her mother, in a statement, said her heart is broken into a million pieces and she is having trouble knowing how to live without her baby girl. She described her daughter as loving cuddling puppies, watching Bluey and Masha and the Bear, and loving the colour pink and rainbow colours. The mother asked politicians not to use her daughter's death for political gain, saying she asks that her daughter's short life not be used by any politician for reasons that do not honour and respect her.
The family has repeatedly asked for privacy while they conduct sorry business. The Northern Territory government has announced plans for an inquiry into the child protection system. Conservative politicians, including former prime minister Tony Abbott, have called for an inquiry into conditions at town camps and Indigenous-owned public housing in Alice Springs.
What we’re doing is remembering a beautiful little girl, but at the same time, to honour her and her family and to make sure that her family is strong through our presence here for that beautiful little girl.
In the Senate, Malarndirri McCarthy introduced a condolence motion and paid tribute to Kumanjayi Little Baby and her family. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made a statement in the lower house, saying Kumanjayi Little Baby was profoundly and deeply loved by her family and her death shattered a family and shook a community. Albanese said all governments over generations have not done enough to deal with generational challenges.
Liberal senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, a Warlpiri woman and relative, cried while addressing the Senate and said she was tired of excuses from successive governments in addressing entrenched dysfunction in town camps. Price said there is fear of speaking honestly about dysfunction, violence, alcohol abuse, neglect, and conditions vulnerable children are growing up in. She stated this is not an isolated case and she has raised concerns about failures in child protection for years.
I hope the families in Alice Springs can heal and they take it in their hearts to see what we’re here for and what we’re doing.
Price said she is no longer interested in protecting adults who feel uncomfortable about truths while children are being buried. She added that when concerns are raised, those who attempt to shut down the conversation say 'now is not the time'. The national body representing First Nations children called for an end to the politicisation of the death of Kumanjayi Little Baby.
Hundreds of people gathered around the country to mourn Kumanjayi Little Baby's passing. Community vigils were held across Australia on Thursday to honour her. At the Aborigines Advancement League in Melbourne, about 400 people turned out to pay their respects.
I love it that our mob got together to really focus on healing families who are involved with the young girl, and by healing, it’s getting together like this and showing their support for the families.
Flowers were laid beneath the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags which were at half mast. People wore pink clothing items, were given candles and welcomed with a smoking ceremony before observing a minute's silence. Yorta Yorta Elder Uncle Graham 'Boots' Cooper gave the welcome to country.
According to The Guardian, Uncle Graham 'Boots' Cooper described the gathering as remembering a beautiful little girl and honouring her family, hoping the families in Alice Springs can heal. In Canberra, about a hundred people gathered at the Aboriginal tent embassy for a vigil. The Canberra vigil was sombre and largely silent, with mourners wearing pink and holding candles.
The words are still stuck in me mouth on what to say about it, but over my years as an Elder in community, things like this come up and all I can say to families is please be vigilant around your children. Watch them and look out for them. And I know it’s easy to say, but it’s a hard thing to do.
Organisers said the Canberra vigil was about holding space for family and community in Alice Springs. Flowers, wreaths and a simple cross with pink fairy wings marked the vigil in Canberra. Traditional owners on Ngunnawal country welcomed those gathering with a smoking ceremony.
According to The Guardian, Leah House described the memorial as about 'holding space' for a grieving family and the little girl was 'farewelled into the dreamtime'. A second vigil was held at the National Carillon, where mourners laid flowers and wreaths. NT Child Protection Minister Robyn Cahill says three child protection workers have been stood down following an investigation into the circumstances of Kumanjayi Little Baby before her alleged murder.
The memorial was about 'holding space' for a grieving family and the little girl was 'farewelled into the dreamtime'.
Ms Cahill said she had reached out to the department to identify any areas of concern and was told things were not a situation of concern. She then requested a full brief and as a result of the initial investigation, three staff have been stood down. Ms Cahill clarified that one employee was stood down from the workplace, and the other two from acting leadership roles.
She said she can't talk about the specifics of how Kumanjayi came to the attention of the department. Ms Cahill indicated she thinks a much broader, independent investigation into the structure of the department is needed. She said there are repeated situations where children have had repeated notifications made, with zero action taken for years, and those children subsequently ended up in the criminal justice system.
Ms Cahill said child protection in the NT has been under a lot of pressure for a very long time without significant change. She noted there have been some 30 inquiries since the late 1980s into child protection across the country and yet poor outcomes continue. Ms Cahill said she made it clear when she came into the portfolios that they couldn't keep doing things the same way and needed to do things differently.
She said now is absolutely the time to look at how to do things differently to deliver better outcomes for children. The ABC is not suggesting wrongdoing on the part of the five-year-old's family.