Unrest grips Australian town after arrest of man over girl's murder

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - SYDNEY — An angry crowd clashed with Australian police outside a hospital treating the suspected killer of a five-year-old Indigenous girl in the outback town of Alice Springs.

Images on local media Friday showed teargas in the air, a police van in flames and crowds yelling at armed officers keeping people at bay during the overnight confrontation.

The violence followed the discovery Thursday of a body south of Alice Springs believed to be that of the little girl, referred to at her family's request as Kumanjayi Little Baby, and police said they were "coming for" anyone who may have helped the suspect.

Kumanjayi Little Baby had last been seen on Saturday, when she was put to bed at an Aboriginal town camp near Alice Springs just before midnight.

Using the name of deceased people, as well as broadcasting their image or voice, breaches cultural protocols around mourning in many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and cannot be done without the permission of their families.

Jefferson Lewis was arrested late on Thursday night local time in Alice Springs, after being seen by members of the local community and reportedly attacked.

Australia's national broadcaster, the ABC, reported that some in the crowd outside the hospital yelled that Lewis needed to face "payback" and accused the police of protecting him.

"Payback" is term for traditional punishment under Aboriginal customary law in Central Australia – usually carried out by elders to try and achieve harmony between Indigenous families and groups.

But at a press conference Michael Liddle an Alyawarre man and Alice Springs local said that traditional payback was "carefully constructed and carried out" rather than seeking quick revenge.

"Bringing the word 'payback' into this scenario just fuels violence," he said,

"There's a system set up here, where there is a person in custody and the Western rules will deal with that person."

Video from the scene shows crowds throwing items towards police and items being thrown. Several police vehicles appear to have been damaged.

Northern Territory Police Commissioner Martin Dole said in an update on Friday morning Lewis had been subjected to a "sustained attack" and was unconscious when police arrived and arrested him.

Dole said about 200 people turned on police and paramedics as they responded to reports Lewis was being assaulted.

Several people including members of the emergency services were injured, and at least one person had been arrested for attempting to set fire to a police vehicle with more arrests expected.

Dole said the scenes outside the hospital "cannot be explained away, excused or accepted". He earlier told ABC they were not "reflective of what we've seen from the community of Alice Springs in the last five days".

Lewis's injuries were not "significant enough to keep him in hospital" and he has been flown from Alice Springs to Darwin and taken into police custody, Dole said.

Charges are expected to be laid against Lewis in the coming days, Dole said. He also said that police were certain somebody in the community had been helping him, and warned "we're coming for you as well".

Forensic test to confirm the young girl's identity and cause of death will continue on Friday.

Kumanjayi Little Baby's grandfather called for calm on Friday.

"What has happened this week is not our way," Robin Granites, a senior Yapa (Warlpiri) elder, said in a statement. "Our children are precious, of course we are feeling angry and hurt at what has happened.

"This man has been caught, thanks to community action, and we must now let justice take its course while we take the time to mourn Kumanjayi Little Baby and support our family."

Police had been combing nearby bush and desert for Lewis, who was released from prison six days before Kumanjayi Little Baby disappeared and vanished around the same time.

Dole said everyone involved in the search for her had been holding out hope of finding her alive.

"When we made that discover yesterday [it was] absolutely devastating for everybody involved," he said.

In a statement on Thursday, Kumanjayi Little Baby's mother said her daughter was loved and missed.

"It is going to be so hard to live the rest of our lives without you."

"We know you are in heaven with the rest of the family and Jesus. Me and your brother will meet you one day."

The girl's mother also thanked the dozens of people, both police and volunteers, who have spent days searching the area around Old Timers Camp - a site set aside by the government for Aboriginal people to stay in when in Alice Springs.