Death of Five-Year-Old Aboriginal Girl Prompts Review of Northern Territory Child Protection

Flowers, messages and toys have been left at the entrance to Old Timers town camp, also known as Ilyperenye, in Australia's Northern Territory in recent weeks. The tributes are for Kumanjayi Little Baby, the five-year-old Warlpiri girl who went missing in April from the Aboriginal community south of Alice Springs.

Her body was found five days later, and an Aboriginal man was subsequently charged with murdering her. The girl's mother put her to bed the night she disappeared. The community of fewer than 30,000 people participated in the search. "The whole community is numb," one mourner said.

Asta Hill, the mayor of Alice Springs, said the death had brought the town together. "In some ways you could say we've actually seen some of the best of the community in the absolute worst of times," Hill stated. Condolence motions were passed in parliament.

" Catherine Liddle, CEO of SNAICC, which represents Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families, said the story brought to the surface how deeply Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people love and care for their children. The circumstances have prompted authorities to promise a review into the territory's child protection system.

The case has also led to questions about disparities between Aboriginal and non-Indigenous Australians in one of the world's wealthiest countries.

Background on the Community Kumanjayi Little Baby was a Warlpiri girl whose traditional lands are in the northwest of Alice Springs in the Tanami Desert. Her mother described her in a statement read at a vigil as a "princess" who loved cartoons, computer games, and spending time with her brother.

She was excited about starting school. "My heart is broken into a million pieces," her mother wrote. " The Old Timers town camp is one of 16 such communities around Alice Springs. Aboriginal people make up about 3 percent of Australia's population but around 20 percent in Alice Springs.

The camps originated in the 1880s after Aboriginal people were displaced by European settlers and were formalised in the 1970s. Prior to 1960, Aboriginal people had been barred from entering the predominantly white town of Alice Springs. The camps are classified as social housing but function as small hamlets.

Residents report overcrowding, underfunding, poor facilities, lack of shops, intermittent electricity, limited public transport, restricted internet access, and inadequate roads and street lighting.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are three times as likely to be unemployed as non-Indigenous Australians. They have significantly lower life expectancies, make up 37 percent of the prison population, and are more likely to experience or perpetrate family violence.

Many in the community are observing "sorry business," a period of grieving that involves cultural practices and can last days, weeks or months. The family has asked that the death be respected and not politicised. Liberal Party Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, who said Kumanjayi Little Baby was a relative, broke down in Parliament and called for an "honest conversation" about failures in child protection.

" The Northern Territory Child Protection system is now under review. Catherine Liddle said the Intervention created fear among Aboriginal men of interacting with children or authorities, citing concerns that such actions could lead to accusations or removal of children.

The article contains references to and images of a person who has died.