Dear All,
We have been campaigning for the outcome that would best suite our son for the last 3 years.
The reason why I am writing this response is to what we have just read in this weeks NIT Newspaper, has just outraged my wife and I.
You ask why, well when we see the ALSWA doing a campaign in regards to stolen wages ( which all our Families have suffered in the past ), with disregards to their funding at ALSWA all of a sudden. This angers my wife and I when we were told by Dennis that they were reluctant to take our sons case on, as it will jeopardise future funding from the Governments in what ever form, for the continued body of the ALSWA to function.
We have tried to get meetings with Dennis and those at the ALSWA, but they don't show up in their offices for such meetings. They make excuses that now the landscape has changed and that Rex Jr is 18 years old he has to engage to do it all. Yet we see those in our community get the help with their illiteracy levels, and they then advocate on their behalf.
They at ALSWA won't even take Rex Jr's telephone calls, or returned his telephone calls. So after what he Rex Jr has been exposed to, he just gives up on them. Too convenient in my books for them at ALSWA to just ignore Rex Jr, when they know that Rex Jr is suffering beyond anyones comprehension of his predicament.
Just not good enough from them as they know he also suffers from PTSD and Clinical Depression, and cannot handle such confrontational situations, as anyone who know like me that these will trigger events that we have lived through, this trauma of such events still vivid in our memories.
Yet we see such a campaign done, with little or no paper work, as to make a case for our people who are victims of such systemic racism, yet we have a paper trail in regards to Rex Jr, that should incriminate those people from the WA Police involved, yet no outcry from anyone, but those from the Bellotti Support Group and the Bellotti Family.
The politics being played here is also an outrage. As like all Our People from the past with the Stolen Wages, is to obtain the closure we all need to move forward when it is morally, Legally, and Democratically the right actions to do as human beings. This should never be played out in the Political arena, as all forms of Government are playing with all our lives, by in some shape or form, are continuing the Stolen Generation's like policies/legislation's in their subtle attempt to destroy us all. Right now we do not have any rights, and the longer this plays out for Rex Jr the more this is then proven to be.
Rex Jr is not out of the woods by a long shot, as he has to under go more operations in the very near future, which looks highly likely that he will have his leg amputated in the process. This is the recipe for disaster for Rex Jr who we believe will spiral into such darkness for him, that we don't know if he is really strong enough to make it through. Probably not, as like all our folk when they don't know what else to do, they self medicate to deal with such confrontational life changing situations.
There is a bad history within the Bellotti Family from people within our own people, that are crippling us as in their roles of continuing to be the devils advocates in three piece suits for the Governments, and will not engage with us in my Family to get the deal that will best provide to Rex Jr and all my Children's needs. I can name names of those that we have approached without acknowledgement from these people. We are left to our devices like those from the Stolen Wages who had nothing to begin with, to get on the best way we can. Not good enough as today is the year 2012, when are we going to get closure for such events that affect all our lives in what ever capacity.
We only have to look at what happened in the Central Desert just recently and how they the three piece suit people attack via the media when the perpetrator was of Aboriginal decent. But those from government such as the WA Police that do things like what has happened to Rex Jr, those same people will not even open their mouths to look like protecting Rex Jr's rights. You do the crime you should always do the time, regardless of who you are, and the environment of it, the crime, and it being carried out.
If we do not hear from the ALSWA by Friday next week the 23 rd March 2012 we from the Bellotti Support Group will have a peaceful picket outside the their offices the following Monday the 27th March 2012, this is a solemn promise to all. This is after reading such articles today in the media, with no thought towards helping Rex Jr in any way, regardless what has been reported in recent media articles.
We have had enough of being ostracised through no fault of our own, then to be treated like we are the criminals for standing up to such Bastardisation in all forms of Government with all their bureaucracy, and diplomacy, then to be given the proverbial brush off. Enough is enough, as this is our backyard too, whether people like it or not.
All of us in the Aboriginal Community/Families need to make a stand for all our rights as Aboriginal people, and stop those that are supporting the continuation of being marginalised all of our lives. We need those in place that will think outside of the box, then we then need to support them in their stand for us, like the Noongar Tent Embassy for one.
God Bless
Rex & Elizabeth Bellotti
Bellotti Support Group : Justice For Rex Jr
www.bellottisupportgroup.org
Comments
Corrupt police force and a miserable and uncaring government
by ray jackson, president, indigenous social justice association
In the posting above, which includes 3 attachments, rex bellotti, snr. anguishes at the state his family has been reduced to after rex jnr was hit by a wa police car under disturbing and differently described circumstances three years ago.
i feel for the bellotti family and have at least some understanding of what they are going through in their dealings with the wa police, the wa government and rex snr has also included the wa aboriginal legal service.
looking at the first two players we know that each supports the other in their venomous grasp of protecting each other when it comes to matters of police action against the aboriginal people of wa. this is a national dance and has a history dating back to the invasion. there is nothing new here at all and gerry georgatos writing for the national indigenous times has put the bellotti case fairly and justifiably called for truth and justice to take away the smokescreen of police lies and deception of what happened on that fateful evening of 6 march 2008. for a month the police had full control of their corrupt version of that nights' events and pedalled lies to the media of police witness statements only that of course fully exonerated their actions on that night.
civilian witnesses were interviewed about a month later but the event for the media, at least, had gone old and cold. typical whitewash tactics of police criminality. backed up, as i said, by the colin barnett government of wa. it was the media reporting the scathing analysis of the wa crimes and corruption commission against the police efforts to date that made the police lack of a proper investigation public.
it is my understanding that the insurance/compensation firm covering the wa police have only offered to pay out about 70% of what should rightfully be paid under the circumstances but the police continue to argue that rex jnr 'contributed' to the accident by purposely running in front of the police car! absolute rot. more police lies.
in the police shooting of adam salter that was previously shown on 4 corners all the father, adrian salter, really wanted was an apology from the police officer who shot his son for no good or possible reason. other death in custody families have requested the same courtesy be given but they too are still waiting. the police will not apologise for any of their crimes, it is just not in their vocabulary. to do so they would need to admit that they were at fault and that will never happen until that corrosive culture of all police is changed so as to make them answerable to the citizens of this country.
with the wa mining boom that is occurring currently the state coffers are awash with money and the government could quite easy make an ex gratia payment, of whatever agreed amount, similar to that made to the family of mr. ward. both the police and the government have watched and waited during the past 4 years as the pain and trauma of the bellotti family, as with other families dealing with police injustice, have sapped the strength and the finances of the family. talking with rex snr early this week he related the position he, rex jnr and the rest of the family find themselves in today. they have used their savings fighting for justice and are facing penury. i have no intention of setting out where financially the family are but i will say that they are facing very much an uphill battle. rex and liz have 6 children and that would be tough enough but with rex jnr probably going to lose his leg then that stress and strain is added to the trauma of the family. one of the attachments is listed as rex jnr injuries. i caution readers to be aware that a most graphic depiction of the injury is shown and may be upsetting to some readers.
the services of the wa als is somewhat of a mixed bag. i know there have been some misunderstandings between the bellotti family and themselves but whatever the circumstances as i said to dennis eggington, i believe that the als still has a duty of care to their clients and should be very patient with the traumatised families and individuals they deal with. i worked in the redfern als for 5 months some time ago under the steadying hand of the late trevor christian so i have some understanding of the problems involved between client and service as i attended the meetings held to discuss the cases being serviced.
as most of us know all the als's are under-resourced both in funding and in the quality of the legal staff that they can employ. i admit to being most impressed with the solicitors who do work, at a very junior rate, and load or rather overload themselves with cases. they come to the als's with great commitment and tend to burn out after 2 or 3 years. some don't last that long but the commitment was always there. i met, and still know, some damn fine legals in my time there. but there is always a shortfall on what can be done due to cuts by the howard government and, like people everywhere, they have different levels of skills. there has always been criticism, and not all unfounded, of the works that is done by the specific als but still they do try to do what they can.
most of their work is in representing aborigines in gaols but they also handle other cases like deaths in custody, some family law, among other issues, but only when they have to. death in custody cases are usually not welcomed although they do process them but they know that they are on a hiding to nothing as no custodial officer is ever found guilty and so these defeats are not good for their image. mind you private legals don't have any runs on the board either as both are trapped by the iron rule of police investigating police or gaol/health officers and coroners continue to take the police word no matter the faults found in the police investigation. except for that wonderfully honest coroner in qld, ms christine clements, who found that chris hurley had a case to answer for the killing of mulrunji doomadgee.
another thing i learnt is that some of the als personnel, not all, but some, were concerned from time to time as to whether a particular case could or would create a political lash-back and possible funding cuts or at least no rise in the funding granted by governments.
the wa als is now saying that they will represent rex jnr when he turns 18 but i understand that this situation is creating some problems in the family. i just hope that these legal peculiarities can be resolved and rex jnr finally gets what he deserves and that is full compensation and also that he is granted homeswest accommodation suitable to his needs and wishes.
i will continue to support the bellotti family and especially young rex in his battle against a corrupt police force and a miserable and uncaring government.
for those who may be able to offer assistance of a more practical nature i refer you to the bellotti support group at the end of the post from rex snr. make contact and i am sure you will be given a warm welcome.
fkj
isja01@internode.on.net
(m) 0450 651 063
(p) 02 9318 0947
address 1303/200 pitt street waterloo 2017
www.isja.org.au
we live and work on the stolen lands of the gadigal people.
sovereignty treaty social justice
Meeting with the Police Commissioner
On behalf of the Bellotti family I have written to the WA Police Commissioner after contacting his Office - and asked him to commit to a meeting with myself and the Bellottis and Shilo Harrison, and for us to discuss the expedient coming to terms in the securing of the 100% motor vehicle insurance and other support payments for the convalescence of Rex Jr. I do not want to see the Bellotti family trespass into any further anguish and their six children languish in despair.
The Commissioner has made certain comments that give me some hope, and I hope that this week he accedes to the meeting and that we secure this sliver of closure. This needs to be done for Rex Jr and the family.
In terms of the issues between the ALSWA and Rex Sr, these must be demarcated, however I have spoken to Dennis, whom I know reasonably well and who does have a big heart in a very tough gig, and he has confirmed to me that the ALSWA will represent Rex Jr. In terms of delays and procrastination in communicating with the Bellotti family well yes they need to explain to the Bellottis why so.
In the meantime let us hope that the WA Police Commissioner meets with us, which I genuinely believe may happen.
I will keep everyone updated.
Gerry