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Human Rights

Racism skewed 1988 investigation into death of Indigenous Australian teenager, coroner finds

Thursday, 18 June 2026, 06:15 · 1 min read

A New South Wales deputy state coroner has found that racism fundamentally compromised the police investigation into the 1988 death of Gomeroi teenager Mark Haines, whose body was discovered on train tracks near Tamworth (a regional city in northern New South Wales, Australia). Deputy Coroner Harriet Grahame ruled out the original finding of suicide, describing the initial investigation as "deeply flawed, superficial and inadequate," noting that the scene was not properly preserved, the car and train were never forensically tested, and the case was swiftly closed. The coroner has recommended the case be referred to NSW Police's unsolved homicide unit for further investigation, including DNA analysis of a cigarette lighter found near the tracks, with a A$1 million reward for information remaining in place — a result the family's advocate, Don Craigie, reached after nearly four decades of campaigning on behalf of his nephew.

Sources
The GuardianRacism hindered NSW police investigation into the 1988 death of Indigenous teenager Mark Haines, inquest found ↗︎
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