guardian.co.uk
Sunday 14 June 2009 13.50 BST
"A coroner has found that an Aboriginal man was "cooked to death" after he spent four hours in the back of a security van in searing heat with no air conditioning as it drove across the goldfields of south-west Australia.Read the rest of the article here.
The 46-year-old Aboriginal elder suffered third degree burns after collapsing in the heat and falling to the floor of the van while it travelled 250 miles from Laverton to Kalgoorlie in 47C heat.
Ward, whose first name cannot be used because of an Aboriginal cultural prohibition that forbids relatives from naming their dead, had been arrested a day earlier in January 2008 for drink driving.
He was given 600ml (one pint) of water before boarding the van but the coroner found he died before he could finish drinking it.
His body temperature was so high that when he arrived unconscious at Kalgoorlie hospital, medical staff could not cool his body down, despite giving him an ice bath. He also had a cut on his head from falling in the van and a third-degree burn to his stomach from lying on the vehicle's hot metal floor."
SIDENOTE: I cannot believe that these fools left Mr. Ward in 47c heat for 4 hours. How absolutely inhumane. They most likely just overlooked his humanity.
May the Great Spirit rest his soul and bring relief to his loved ones.
Onward!
Ridwan
2 comments:
Part of me wants to cry, and when i'm finished with that, another part wants to avenge. Even dogs are better protected than this poor soul was.
Yet, the best thing to do is add a "hee-hee-chee" (meaning "it is well said") to your prayer for rest to his would and relief for his loved ones.
I absolutely hear you my sista Shusli.
What happened to Mr Ward is an absolute tragedy!
Where is the justice hey?
Onward!
Ridwan
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