“I want to be the last Aboriginal mother crying for my child.”
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Nioka Chatfield’s son, Tane, died in custody at Tamworth Correctional Centre on September 20.
Family and friends of the father-of-one will gather in Central Park, Armidale, this Saturday to protest all deaths in custody.
“We want people to be aware that it really does happen,” she told Fairfax Media on Thursday.
“We’ve had a protest in Sydney but this is home.”
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Mrs Chatfield is wearing red everyday until “justice is found”.
“I’ve been wearing something red everyday whether it be a clip or a flower,” she said.
“At the moment I’m painting a little red shirt on an angel.
“I’m trying to do something like that everyday.”
Mrs Chatfeild said she wears red because in her son’s final days he had asked his parents to pick out a red tie for him to wear in court.
“Everybody has been having good days and bad days,” she said.
“It still hasn’t hit some of them.”
The event will be on Saturday, November 25 in Central Park.
It will commence at 11am and protesters will march to the Armidale Mall.
The Chatfield family, Mr Chatfield’s solicitor Peter Kemp, Greens MP David Shoebridge and ANTaR Jennifer Greaney will make speeches following the march.
Investigations are continuing into Mr Chatfield’s death and it is not being treated as suspicious.
All deaths in custody are reviewed by the NSW Coroner at inquest.
- Lifeline: 13 11 14