Tjirrkali is a remote closed Aboriginal community 180 kilometres north west of Warburton in Western Australia. On New Year’s Eve a known paedophile, Augustine “Gus” Winter Miller 38, took an 8 year old girl living at the community into the desert on a hunting trip. When they failed to return, a community elder raised the alarm.
When police finally tracked them down, the man was carrying the unconscious child in his arms. They were both severely dehydrated and taken back to the Jirrkali community for medical treatment but the child’s condition worsened. Police frantically tried to revive her for more than an hour, refusing to stop CPR until the nurse arrived from Warburton. She also continued CPR but it was no use, she could not be revived and passed away.
At this stage, it’s not clear who is the official carer of the child although it's thought that Miller's de facto partner had been taking care of her. Yesterday her mother was in a sobering-up health centre in Kalgoorlie “in a pretty bad way.”
Miller remains under police guard in hospital where he is being treated for dehydration and sun exposure. A bedside hearing is expected to be held today but so far, Miller has only been charged with firearms offences. An autopsy on the child and forensic examination of the car and area where they were found is still being carried out. Police need to speak to the community before Miller is released because of tribal law issues and it sounds as though they are ready for retribution.
Miller was convicted of child sex offences in January 2006, and if the community were aware of it, why was he allowed to take an eight year old girl on a hunting trip?
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