Pearson slams court

December 16, 2006

ABORIGINAL leader Noel Pearson lashed out at Queensland's Director of Public Prosecutions, Leanne Clare, yesterday, accusing her of incompetence after she decided not to charge a policeman involved in the death of an Aboriginal man on Palm Island.

The Federal Government also weighed into the scandal, with Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough calling for an independent investigation into Mulrunji Doomadgee's death.

Mr Pearson questioned Ms Clare's judgement on Thursday that there wasn't enough evidence to prove Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley was responsible for the death, despite the coroner finding that the policeman had struck Mulrunji and caused his death.

"Nobody in Queensland can have confidence in her judgement," Mr Pearson said on ABC radio. "She screwed up … and in this critical case … she has just absolutely driven indigenous people to depths of despair."

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