The desperate screams of an Aboriginal prisoner crying out for her late father as she died alone in her cell has exposed the dark reality of Australia’s prison system.
Victoria Nelson, 37, was suffering from an undiagnosed stomach ailment and heroin withdrawal when she died at Dame Phyllis Frost Prison on January 1, 2020.
She was taken into custody for shoplifting and handed over to CorrectCare, a private healthcare provider hired by the Victorian government.
After two long nights and more than 49 cries for help, including heartbreaking wails of ‘Papa, papa, papa’, Mrs. Nelson’s body was discovered at 8am.
Her cell was flooded and the shower was still running when guards finally came to her aid.
Victoria Nelson was suffering from an undiagnosed stomach ailment and heroin withdrawal when she died at Dame Phyllis Frost Prison on January 1, 2020 (she is pictured in her cell)
An investigation into the tragedy by CorrectCare would rule that her death was “inevitable,” but a coronial inquiry two years later would disagree.
Her story comes amid calls for an urgent inquiry into the deaths of Aboriginal people in custody, in which more than 525 prisoners have died in the three decades since the 1991 royal commission.
It is estimated that Indigenous Australians are 10 times more likely to die in prison cells than non-Indigenous prisoners.
Ms Nelson’s mother, Donna, said she was in pain and screaming for help, telling guards she had been vomiting and having painful cramps in her cell.
Despite being unsteady on her feet, unable to hold her head up or remain still, Mrs. Nelson’s cries for help fell on deaf ears as she continued to pace in her cell.
Stephanie Hills was working for CorrectCare the night Ms. Nelson arrived and described her as the “sickest” prisoner she had ever treated.
Despite being unsteady on her feet, unable to hold her head up or remain still, Mrs. Nelson’s cries for help fell on deaf ears as she continued to pace in her cell.
Ms Nelson’s mother, Donna, (centre) said she had been in pain and screamed for help, telling guards she had been vomiting and having painful cramps in her cell
She couldn’t sit up in the chair. She slumped over the armrest. Because of the vomiting, I suggested taking her to the hospital,” she said.
When it was announced that Ms Nelson’s death would be investigated by the coroner, Ms Hill decided to contact the court directly with her evidence.
She claims that her attempts to testify to CorrectCare were rejected twice, forcing her to take matters into her own hands.
“It was horrifying to watch and I still have a lot of guilt,” she said.
“It was necessary because it was the truth, and the truth had to be told. It was an avoidable death, and it should have been prevented.’
In January, coroner Simon McGregor found that Ms Nelson had suffered ‘cruel and degrading’ treatment in prison before her avoidable death.
The five-week corona investigation found that failure to implement the more than 500 recommendations of the Royal Commission in 1991 was also to blame.
Mrs. Nelson was taken into custody for shoplifting and handed over to CorrectCare, a private care provider hired by the Victorian government (pictured, Dame Phyllis Frost Prison)
Indigenous activist and Labor Senator Pat Dodson (pictured) described Ms Nelson’s death as ‘one of the most embarrassing things you could ever witness’
Indigenous activist and Labor Senator Pat Dodson described Ms Nelson’s death as ‘one of the most embarrassing things you could ever experience’.
He said those who failed to give the detainee the most basic medical checks should be held “criminally responsible” for her death.
Mr Dodson has called on Anthony Albanese to take urgent action and establish a National Indigenous Justice Commission to oversee state investigations.
The number of Indigenous deaths in custody has exploded in the three decades following the royal commission, from an average of 11 to 16.6 deaths.
In a statement, CorrectCare said it offered its condolences to Veronica Nelson’s family and that it was reviewing the coroner’s findings. Herald reports.