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John Peter Pat (31 October 1966 – 28 September 1983) was an Aboriginal Australian boy who, at the age of 16 years and 11 months, died while in the custody of Western Australia Police. On 28 September 1983, four off-duty police officers and an Aboriginal police aide returned to Roebourne from a police union meeting at Karratha, where they had each consumed six or seven glasses of beer at the Karratha Golf Club. Upon their return to Roebourne, they called in at the Victoria Hotel. A local Aboriginal man, Ashley James, claims he was threatened by one of the police officers when he sought to make a purchase at the hotel's bottle shop. A hotel barmaid later testified that police swore at James and threatened to get him when he left the hotel. James later testified that one of the police subsequ

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  • Death of John Pat (en)
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  • John Peter Pat (31 October 1966 – 28 September 1983) was an Aboriginal Australian boy who, at the age of 16 years and 11 months, died while in the custody of Western Australia Police. On 28 September 1983, four off-duty police officers and an Aboriginal police aide returned to Roebourne from a police union meeting at Karratha, where they had each consumed six or seven glasses of beer at the Karratha Golf Club. Upon their return to Roebourne, they called in at the Victoria Hotel. A local Aboriginal man, Ashley James, claims he was threatened by one of the police officers when he sought to make a purchase at the hotel's bottle shop. A hotel barmaid later testified that police swore at James and threatened to get him when he left the hotel. James later testified that one of the police subsequ (en)
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  • John Peter Pat (31 October 1966 – 28 September 1983) was an Aboriginal Australian boy who, at the age of 16 years and 11 months, died while in the custody of Western Australia Police. On 28 September 1983, four off-duty police officers and an Aboriginal police aide returned to Roebourne from a police union meeting at Karratha, where they had each consumed six or seven glasses of beer at the Karratha Golf Club. Upon their return to Roebourne, they called in at the Victoria Hotel. A local Aboriginal man, Ashley James, claims he was threatened by one of the police officers when he sought to make a purchase at the hotel's bottle shop. A hotel barmaid later testified that police swore at James and threatened to get him when he left the hotel. James later testified that one of the police subsequently accosted him outside on the footpath, and told him to "get fucked". James said that he fought back, and was then attacked by the other officers. A general melée ensued, with Aboriginal men and police trading punches. John Pat joined the fray, and according to witnesses, was struck in the face by a policeman and fell backward, striking his head hard on the roadway. According to witnesses, one of the police officers kicked Pat in the head. Pat was then allegedly dragged to a waiting police van, kicked in the face, and thrown in. Observers across the street from the police station alleged that the Aboriginal men were systematically beaten as they were taken from the police van. One after another, the prisoners were dragged from the van and dropped on the cement pathway. Each was picked up, punched to the ground, and kicked. According to one observer, none of the prisoners fought back or resisted. A little over an hour later, when police sought to check on Pat, he was dead. A subsequent autopsy revealed a fractured skull, haemorrhage and swelling, as well as bruising and tearing of the brain. Pat had sustained a number of massive blows to the head. One bruise at the back of his head was the size of the palm of a hand, and many other bruises were visible on his head. In addition to the head injuries, he had two broken ribs and a torn aorta, the major blood vessel leading from the heart. The autopsy also showed that the dead youth had had a blood alcohol reading of 0.222%. The officers were acquitted of manslaughter charges in May 1984 after pleading self-defence. A Royal Commissioner in 1991 acknowledged that "The death of John Pat became for Aboriginal people nation wide a symbol of injustice and oppression... a continuing sense of injustice in the Aboriginal communities throughout Australia saw the anniversary of John Pat's death marked by demonstrations calling for justice". (en)
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