Just before nine o'clock last night, the jury returned guilty verdicts against all three defendants.
It was absolutely shambles, to tell you the truth. Just actually really put his.
Blood on who's clothing.
The day after the alleged a tour.
Nashelle mud Bank and it fits through river.
Basically, I think most of the people are used to me.
Are good people. I think a really important question we need to ask is how many Indigenous prisoners in Australia are innocent.
This is Curtain, a podcast where we pull back the blinds to shine a light on the darkest parts of our justice system and ask who are the victims. I'm Amy Maguire and.
I'm Martin Hodgson, a senior advocate for the Foreign Prisoner Support Service. And a warning, this series contains the names of deceased peoples and has distressing content that might upset some listeners.
Welcome to episode twenty of Curtain the podcast. As you may have seen over the last week, the media is finally taking an interest in the case of Kevin Henry and starting to ask the questions that should have been asked twenty five years ago. But this week we want to continue our look at the life of Kevin Curtin Henry. Again, we're going to be interviewing those that know Kevin best. In this episode, Amy sits down with Yasmin Johnson and
her daughter Yalila. Yasmin has been absolutely crucial in keeping the story of Kevin Henry alive. Yasmin has been Kevin's voice on the outside, and without Yasmin, it's very likely you would not be hearing this podcast today. Kevin Henry may very well be lost to the system if it wasn't for the more than a decade's work Yasmin has done to ensure that justice can be done for Kevin. She's been relentlessly for Kevin and has been the single
voice who's stuck by Kevin's side throughout this ordeal. Sitting down with Amy, Yasmin and Yalila is Auntie awa Orderton. She's named Kevin his entire life, from the time he was a little boy in the Aboriginal community of Wuribinda to the fateful day Kevin Henry was arrested in Rockhampton, Queensland. This week, Amy sat down with these three strong Aboriginal women who span the generations, but what they have in common is a commitment to Kevin Henry and an absolute
belief in his innocence. That's because they've seen what's happened at every step of the way of this case. As Amy interviews Yasmin Awa and Yalila, you may notice that you hear a whipper snipper in the background, some plates moving, and even a baby cry. That's because when someone's in prison for twenty five years, the fight to free them is endless. Life simply can't stop. So those who have supported Kevin use every spare hour they have to do
what they can. So while that might slightly interfere with the audio quality, it's nothing on the huge disruption, torment, and stress that it's had on these three amazing women's lives as they battle for Kevin Henry's freedom. Here's Amy first speaking with Yasmin.
Can I start with you?
When did you first find out about Kevin's case? So when did you first hear the name Kevin Henry?
Older cousin was locked up at the Creek Prison and his partner then or staying with me, and they was in the same the art Kevin and my cousin Mervin and he they they used to just get on the phone and talk say later people, and oh you know so and so she sort of stories that way, you know, blackfellows do. Let's someone say, you know whatever. We started sort of talking like that, and Mervin's partner is Kevin's cousin, and she started talking about what had to happen back
down at Nuba House. You know, she was you know, also showed that anger for him being locked up for these crimes. And I said why what happened? And then this sort of went from there really and then yeah, and so Kevin's sort of arked because my dad was with at sick. Then Peter Savage, he was on the ACCID council here, and he asks Mervin about, oh, can
can he help me in any way? You know? Can then Mob and Rocky help me looking for you know, our representation here and Rocky sort of have a look at his case and can we do something about it? And I suppose asked me and I went to Dad and he said, yeah, I can have a talk to you know, the council and see what we can do. And it took a while, but yeah, I think it was that Michael White, he was a chair. Then that's
the regional council. Dad was a part of that board and the council, and we sort of went from there and I think that went on for about probably twelve months. Then I started going down to the four Years Radio station. One of the workers down there said, come and use the station to do whatever you want because our brother needs help. One person who was running the station, he said, come and use the doors open, do use whatever you
want to use, you know. So I started sort of talking on radio through Talk Black Radio with Greg Reid, Mama Vipra and getting on their sort of most mornings and just talking about this injustice and what had happened to Kevin Henry. How far How long ago was that two thousand and two? I think I started that just sort of talking. But when I started getting getting on radio and talking to media was two thousand and five.
Because I read the transcripts, done all the homework with other people in the community, most of them witnesses that have passed on today, they were all alive back then, and actually spoke to them and they just like you're looking at them, and talked to them. They go like you could see that they were sorry, that they were confused. The look in their face was like, you know, I should have said the right thing. Some of them wuldn't
even look at you. It was just the look of guilt sort of gave them the opportunity to talk and stuff like that. Some were just straight out didn't want to say anything, but others where you could see it was just yeah, when.
They started to realize that there had been an injustice done.
Transcripts because we know our mob, how our mob talk, and when you read the transcripts and the comments and you know, they were different to what they said the other day or last week or when they were in the cop shop and all this, it just didn't I'm like, I'm walking past these people every day. These you know, these bully men made a fool out of our mob. That's how I've seen it. They took advantage of the whole situation, all these mob involved in this case. It's
just like a big laughing stock. You know, it was wrong. So me coming from a radical family, having radical black parents, it just and knowing care it building that relationship with him and having you know, prisoners come in and out and saying, you know, what you're doing is good, that we believe in him. This went on for ten years. It just sort of it pushed me all the way and then I had other people jumping on board.
So, yeah, when you first started talking to Kevin, what sort of person was he?
Like?
Like, what was your impression of him?
He was calm, nice, gentlemen, respectful, you know, it was hello, good morning or whatever. You know, there was there were times when he was stressed out about things. I think when the new that bit of new evidence come was presented, that's what tipped tipped everything over for him and his people concerned. Yeah, that just I sort of left it then because I said, you know, people mentioned in that new evidence they need to deal with this. You need to deal with this. He's all need to deal with
it as a family. You know, we're gonna be honest here, and those people listening, they need to be honest to him. Tell the truth now. Yeah, why keep him locked up when you know the truth.
So I guess when nothing happened within.
Those ten years, how do you think Kevin sort of dealt with that?
Being locked up.
And having years passed with nothing seeming to happen.
He just sat there just thinking that he was gonna be there for the rest of his life. He said, I'll be here like he used to say, Well, you know, I'll be here like Arthur Metdock for the rest of my life. He said, No one's gonna help me. But I always sort of when I sort of left it, left it alone. It was when that new evidence was
presented that stung the community. But that new evidence a lot of people knew about that because I, you know, I had a couple of little whispers with people that were close to him, and someone said to me, we knew about that. I said, what, Yeah, a lot of people knew about that, but we didn't want to get involved because it was family. But that's why I said, oh, well, you know, can you talk to your family about this situation,
because really I can't do anything. Maybe you can. He sees them when they come out for funerals, but there's no conversation, nothing said. It's all hush hush.
Why do you think that is?
Is it because people have sort of forgotten because he's been in there for so long, or it's just easier to not deal with it.
I think I think why people stood back and they took a back seat because they frustrated, they didn't know what to do. And they didn't know need to turn to. And I think in the end they gave up. You know, they didn't have the feminiar to come forward and you know, and and fight the system. They didn't know how to do it because being grown up in more Winda, in the community. I you know, he'd been oppressed for a
long time for the people's best. In Kevin's mommy and you know, she's a cry out every night for Kevin. You know, he didn't do it. He didn't do it. He said, I'm gonna wait for my cap kit to come out cause I know he didn't do it. She believed in me that she still does today.
And what about his father as well?
He thought of loving to death and you know he went to the grave with a southern heart knowing that his son, him being cortrighted with the rest of his life, did nothing. He did nothing wrong. Mm and he knew that, you know. But he he couldn't do nothing cause no one wouldn't listen to him, you know, no, and he had no one to turn to. Her think, But you know, I, I, oh, I just wanna take my head off from Jasmine Johnson and their family because she never gave up on him.
She never and and they have family stood buy in for the last twenty three years of his life. And I just wanna take my head off the Jasmin Johnson and his family.
Do you think it was a bit of fear as well?
I think it was a lot of fear. Yeah, and a lot of Yeah, it was a lot of fear and m the war a bit of people. You know, you you you you come together as a community and and and they talk about justice, and justice for them is fighting word. And you know you wanna speak out or you don't because they'll come after you. They'll come after your family. And that was a l a lot of r straight to I'm put forward to the to the family RM and they stood back.
Yeah, yeah, because I guess where can.
You go with Also, you don't have trust in the police.
As well, that's right, and you know there's there was no they didn't know who to try. There was nobody out there to trust, no one to talk to, no one to turn to, not even their own Humunity members with they grow up. No, I wouldn't support them, No, wouldn't help them. And maybe there was a fear too for them, you know, to come forward, and you know the family was they didn't know, they didn't know what to do. It's a sad situation. Yeah, very very sad.
You know, to be in that crossline, you know, being that crossway and you let them. They know there's justice out there where to go. They know where to go.
Even you, Yes, when you're saying you come from a family, you know, a prominent family who's got radical black politics and your dad was in at sick but even then, you've had a hard time finding anyone to take this case.
Seriously, Yeah I did. There was organizations and you know, our own mob that got up and stood up beside me and supported Kevin's you know, we had a petition and stuff like that being in media, and yeah, we should of never didn't stop, but it just yeah, I sort of left it to his family to deal with that what came up that time, you know, ten years ago, and yeah, just sort of yeah, I was waiting for I think an angel to come along and help us. And someone did come along. God sent Martin Hudson, not.
Only Martin and Amy and you know what, without your it's please and you were when I got to spark without this, Yeah, and justice will be done to Kevin.
Thanks is do you think Kevin has changed a lot over this past however.
Long you've known him? Yes, it yeah, since you and Martin have been on board, He's just his whole being is It's not this hardened criminal, you know, stress all the time. He's sort of come down. Like when I visit him today, he looked like a different person. You know, I haven't been out there for like four months, and what I used to go up there just looking at them officers, seniors. You know, they gave me dirty looks. I gave them dirty looks. So what. But today it
was a different story. It was a whole new ball game. It was all Halle's how are you yass? When yeah, you're right because I couldn't get in. My fingerprint wouldn't work on the machine. I said, oh no, you're right, you can just go through, you know that sort of it was very tense. He's very tense. But now he's just knowing that Martin and Amy's come on board and just being in the paper and hearing it on radio.
I think it's quite overwhelming for him. He just I think he's shocked, sort of sort of like Sun that is still happening bang at once. Yeah, because it's been so long.
Yeah, I mean twenty five years of waiting, trying to find anyone to listen. And even when the evidence come forward ten years ago, you would have expected something to happen then.
And knowing stories like when he tells me things about when he first got sentenced, must have been the first twelve months, or might have been first two years. He was very angry, young twenty year old thrown in prison. You know, with all these lifers, hardened criminals, he just reacted to the
environment he was in. So he told me that they, the seniors and management, put him on a big chain, tied him up to a chain every day for oh a couple of months, and when he'd have breakfasts with every other prisoners, they tie him up to the window. He had tied up to a chain to a window. I said, so, what happened when he went to sleep and he said, I was still tied up. I was tied up all day on this big chain, like a big dog chain, he said. When I lay down on
my bed, the chain be connected to the table. I said, what about toilet? He said, I couldn't gave the toilet they wouldn't let me. I said, so what happened? He said, well, I had to lay on my left side and urinate. And he said, I just made sure it went under the red under the bed. This went on for a couple of months. They made him chained up like an animal. Yeah, them sort of stories. You're like, you know, we're talking about closing the gap. How can we close the gap when this is happening?
Come on, people, how do you think I mean, even though it's been obviously he's gone through his childs, how do you think he stayed so strong given that you know, a lot of the time he's a voice in the wilderness, like it's only him who knows his innocence, you know what I mean? How do you think he's stayed so strong? Do you think Kevin was a very strong person to begin with?
I reckon he was a very strong person. And he realized that. You know, he stood up for his rights and he never ever denied that he'd been doing it. He stood up for his rights and Ian and he knew there was a backbone behind him. He was a family member that will will fighting justice system.
All the way.
And they knew that, and and that's when he confidence. He did his confidence stuff. You start to be realized, and he said, I'm gonna win this. I'm I'm I'm gonna go I'm gonna I'm gonna start fighting. I'm gonna fight for this. And he's doing it with the help of the media, the help with the family member that things involved in the community, you know, and he will get justice. Yeah.
And I know you said this afore, but what sort of person is Kevin?
Would you say? Kevin three? Kevin as Kevin. I've known him growing up, very loving boy, uh, respectful, very respectful. He he always acknowledged he grew up in the whole school and the way he he brought up in the whole school is with respect. M He would never ever disrespect any he builders. And and that's one thing he was taught from a young age, respect your elders. And he always did. Mm. Yeah and that and that's the way Kevin, I know it to heaven. And that's the
way you say, that's his nature. You mean, he grew up in that environment with respect, you know. And Kevin would never ever heard a fly never you know, he done what he done in his own business and do anything but he never ever had a fly.
Do you have any favorite memories of Kevin as he was growing up?
Oh, he's I you know, w P in Warbinder. He's a giddy's by his mother Christmas presence and his father and you know, he gives to his father and mother in Christmas presence and he never forgot that. And you know, that's the memory that I remember Kevin because he loved these parents, you know, and he loved his aunt and uncles also around, you know, and he showed them all the respect. And that's what Kevin is, that's his nature.
So he sounds like he was very much loved.
He was much love for his family, and it's it's just a sad situation that no one supported them too, yeah, you know, and it was away because they cut the lifeline when they put Kevin away, and no one wouldn't come forward and help the family room. Yeah, so sad.
It's really sad to know how to go, isn't it.
Yeah, very sad. Well, I think him all the years he has been in prison, he's also had that thought from the other brothers in there. You know, he's built many a relationship with white and black, you know, over the years. They've supported him in different ways, and family going there just to see him. Don't go and commit a crime or won't pay the final you know, just to go and spend time with him a couple of months, a couple of years, because to pull him through this long ride.
You know.
It's yeah, they do they do it.
Just show how easy black fellows get locked up, isn't it.
You know what I.
Always said in this era, in this system, there was two sets of law, one for the blacks, one for the white. And it's proven over and over and over in the system in Rock Campa especially. Oh yeah, I've always said that, you know, but we can't prove that because we've lived it. We know for you know. And now Kevin's is their product with this No it was dom from black and white. And he's he's sitting in there for the last twenty trees of his life, you know,
for nothing. Come on, come on, wake up, you know, let him Let him go now he's done his time. He did nothing wrong. Let him go. Did Kevin?
What did the sort of what were the sort of things he liked doing? Would you say he.
Loved playing football? Football is his passion. He loved football, and fishing, and you know he's a family man and you know, are sociable. That's what's kind of manly Kevin was and he still does today. He never lost that passion.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Do you think it's hard for him being away from country and particularly, well.
Well, come on and be locked up for twenty three years. You're going to be there very hard for twenty twenty five years. And you know it's going to be very hard for him. Adjust back in the society will take him a long long time. But you know what, when he it releaves, he he he will go back to his country and he will go I'm gonna tell you something, he will come out a better man. He will with his head to stand up by and then it'll walked the walk what he had up for mom and dad.
And he said, you know, I didn't visit, and I want people to believe that he didn't do it. He's an innocent boy, he is, and he know what then, always always maintain his innocent. That day he went to jail, Yes, and I believed in him.
Did you get to see him a lot of.
The time after he was convicted, after he was charged.
Well, I went around to the courthouse and him and sister the disease. Now, we went around there and I said, look pull or ply he got nobody there. Oh he was had taking back to the watchhouse and we went there, so can we seek heaven? They said, no, he's gone. He went back to we're just shining out with him to that and a quick so quick.
Yeah.
So you never got to see him.
No, I never ever seen him the other day that he was affected.
Him.
He's a sad situation. It is very very sad. But justice will be done for him. And you know, thanks for them, you know, the team and people who believe him, you know, never gave up on him. I'm really workful and thankful for that.
I think it was like, yeah, what does Kevin talk about with you? I mean you talk to him mostly in visits and going to the on the phone and everything like that. But I guess what would you say his passions?
Even now, Oh, he hasks about what we do all the time. He starts in journal you know what's happening out in the community, and you know, talk about all different things. We'll talk about. You know, one might be going to a meeting, we're talking about this and that.
You know, and he'll jump straight on board and say, yeah, well this should happen and this should you know, we talk about all sorts of things, family stuff, you know, things happening in the community, talk about football, you know Paramatter, Yeah, I think they're beating LUs Yeah, yeah, that's football. Yeah, Paramatter, he's a Parametter fan. Yeah. We just talk about everything.
We talk about out there, what's happening. You know. Some of them fellows will get on and slo and yeah, you know, all this sort of stuff.
Does it amazing that when he went back and when he went in and nine one, I mean he comes out as Facebook, we've all got mobile phones.
Yeah, they tell him about they tell him about Facebook and YouTube and mobile phones, and he asks to tell him how it works and what you can do on it. And all them young colors are going there too. They tell him about what to use a computer and a laptop and you know, all this sort of stuff.
You sort of realized it was a different time, think, yeah.
Yeah, different era yep.
And as Aboriginal women yourself, what do you think about when you think about Linda and potentially the enduring injustice that occurred around her death.
She was just forgotten absolutely, just forgotten. Like Kevin Henry was forgotten. You know, they locked him up through away the key and Linda was like sort of it was you know, she never existed.
Yeah, it was like life of the place of the hurt. You know, everybody forgot about it. You know, why do you think that is to cover up the truth? That's what it is, cover up the truth that didn't want to take responsibility what they've done, especially this community in Northampton. You know, the two should have been told in the first place, and it didn't. It was covered up. Is the black and white thing here? Then in them here when they're growing up in this community 'stal blacks, you
get a rash white police no matter what. And I think that's what happened to Kevin and then Blinda black Man the River Bay.
And again killing each other. Let him go, that's all they know, that's all they do. That's the attitude of the white men I socided now and white and the government. The government's to blame because this has happened to our people. It's colonization. They've run everything, whether it be corrections, prisons, the police departments, health, education, housing. White men run all that. We've got to live under their laws, and yeah, they're like.
Can you tell me a little bit about your own your Yasmin's daughter, but how you started to know about Kevin Henry's Kevin Henry's case and what it means to you as a young Aboriginal woman.
Yeah.
Well, I don't know how old we were, but we moved to Rocky and I remember what we were looking at, I think house sing and Mum formed this relationship with Kevin and I didn't know much about it, obviously because of my age, but.
We'd go out to the jail and visit him. We were young, we were probably.
Seven, rude four five four.
Or five, So my sister and I would go out there and he didn't really know who he was or but he was always very friendly to us, always interested in us, like you know, and still is, like even though we haven't like never ever knew him personally, but we.
Just formed a three Mum, yeah, form this kind of like family kind of bond with him.
We've become like a part of his extended family to say, we kind of took him in and he kind of like adopted us as well as his kind of I guess, you know, little family and yeah, and then ever since then, it's kind of Mum's been He's been in the picture, and.
I didn't really understand what was happening.
But I remember one day me and Mum went to the South Side Library and she walked up to the counter and I was like a little girl, and she like went to this, went to the lady behind the kenna.
She's like, I'm looking for some articles.
Back in nineteen ninety one ninety two, and the lady's like, oh, yeah, what's about Mum's like a murder and she's like oh, And I was like kind.
Of That's when I was like, what's one I'm getting into?
Like realize like she mom.
So we were at the Southside Library. This is when I little girl. Mum's research and all this stuff. I didn't really I kind of caught on. And I would overhear Mum's conversations with our family members about you know, because Kevin would ring the.
House and other people would answer their Kevin guy and.
You know, yeah, so yeah, kind of from a girl, yeah understood about I kind of grew up with knowing about Kevin, knowing about this, and I was kind.
Of a bit confused as well.
Because I was like, we don't even know this man, like why is one doing this?
And looking back on it now, it's all.
Been really voluntary on Month's behalf to go out of her way.
She's not obligated, like it's.
No, we don't really even know Kevin from La bar so before this, so she didn't feel like yeah.
Definitely, so and he rings up.
He's always asking about like his lips kind of life through us, about what's going on, and you know, yeah, so it's really nice and keeping him up to date with like having my baby like last year.
So he's she gets on the phone and talks to him, and he talks to her and it's really nice.
So he's kind of, yeah, it's really nice to it's a bit comfort knowing that he's still like engaging with us and having those sharing those moments and creating memories.
So it's interesting though, because how old are you now? I turned towny five in April, and very soon it.
Was your birthday was when he got convicted, So your whole life he has been.
In jail, that's right.
So the other day I was born, he was convicted, which is the tenth of April.
Mute ninety two.
So it's amazing ironic, right, So, yeah, I guess putting it that way, I've grown up, I've went to school, I've traveled, I've been overseas, I've had a baby, like, I've done all these things with that twenty five year back like, and while Kevin's he's missed out on all that, Like he hasn't said, he hasn't created those memories or shared those experiences with people, or experienced traveling or what I learned from honey our is that he didn't really
even get to experience adulthood because he you know, I'm making you know, having that agency to make his own choices or have a house or just all these basic things that we've I've done, like you know, becoming, you know, going through those stages of adolescence.
And he was going through yeah time. Yeah.
And then so he's been locked up for twenty five years, practically controlled by the stay, you know, being told what to do, what to say, what to eat, what to.
Wear, And you realize how much has been stolen away from him, you think of it.
So I mean, I yeah, or for the entirety of my life, that's how long Kevin's not had.
A life, Yeah, if I can, like, if that makes sense, And as a young Aboriginal woman, you sort of hope that there would be you know, justice as whole murderers around.
You know, the life and worse not only of Kevin, but i'll Linda. So you would hope that things are changing because you know that could.
Have happened to any one.
Yasmudern Us, what are your impressions of the lawyers and the legal communities who are supposed to have helped Kevin over all these years?
Disgusting, downright disgusting. It was all shambles. It was all set up, It was controlled right from day dot. Yeah, disgusting, absolutely disgusting, average legal service, a lot whole lot of them. The judge, the lawyers, Dave Murray only come in two days before Kevin's barrister, knew nothing about Kevin Henry, knew nothing about the case, knew nothing about the average people that lived down the river bank. It was all, like I said, from the start, episode one shambles.
So who was supposed to have helped Kevin along this whole journey.
There was a lot of the people departments that should have helped Kevin Henry, he said, he sat up there in the watch chause not one black person went up there and seen him. From an organization, from the legal service, white black, whatever. One person went up there. They said that he said oh. They come back and said oh, that he couldn't have representation or something was going on.
It was the drawn out process and Dave Murray gets tucked in the deep end three days before the court before he has the front up court, and his family's not even sitting there in the courthouse. Not one single family member had come in from Urabinda, and an averageal legal service sort of contacted them and said, how he's going to get in, We'll send out a bus to bring us in to support your son, your brother, whatever.
They never contacted them, probably not.
No, I think a family member have never been notified that the they Kevin was sentenced. You know, it was a shock to the whole community that he was labeled and he was framed. I'm saying he was framed for this, you know, and his family was devastated, you know, because he they have a player justice tile and he didn't do.
You remember what sort of I know it's a long time ago, but do you remember what it was like when you know you personally heard the decision.
I cried.
I was cried. I was devastated because I knew Kevin would never ever do this. I cried, you know, my heart at and I said, you know, something going to be done about some boy. You know, he didn't do this. You know, he come from work, it worked, and come over the weekend and it was fraying. He was frying from this murder. Were you in Rocky at that time or I was I were living in Rocky, I was living here in Rocky. Yeah, but I remember that time when when Kevin was sent So.
I guess it gets confusing because all the women, they've all been charged in the same murder trial for different things, but at one point they're all charged with the same thing.
So who does the als represent?
I guess there.
A well, they took the three women, they took they them on board, you know, and they said, oh, Keviness, it was a conflict of interest to represent Kevin because black on black, they should have had a proper purpect reputation there. Yeah, but there were nobody there representing poor or color. No, you know, they stood there all alone. Yeah, and they but the legal system and the back they they they represented the three women. Yeah, you know that's
that's unfair, unfair justice. You know, I remember very very clearly.
Yeah, did you have any view of the original Legal Service before then, like it was known for being today.
I don't have any faith in the Legal Service because I don't trust them. Well they if they can do this to this young feller, they'll do to anybody, you know, cause there's no there's no faith, there's no justice in that system. They did we I mean, just number students to get the funding. That's what they set up. Of course, that's what we do.
You know, just you're talking about when you first started looking into it, all the witnesses were still alive. If something had happened back then, you know, do you reckon we'd still be in this situation? I mean, do you think one of the biggest problems is the fact that a lot of witnesses have passed on now?
No, they were, their mounds were still shut when they you know, they knew Kevin was sitting out there doing time. They didn't budge. A couple of them did. But when you'd see them, you could just see the look in their face was like, what have I done?
And you know, there was written all over and a lot of the they were threatened too, and then that's why they wouldn't come forward to them and for their safety, for them and for their fall. Yeah, that's what that's that's what really stopped them in the bear graid to speak out. Yeah, you know, how do you tackle a situation like that? Yeah, you know they wanted the help. Hell yeah, I'm sad. Sad situation. It is very sad.
Sad situation.
Yeah, very sad, you know. But twenty five years a long time. Kevin's old childhood is pean ate liven away from you and the day's set three Eldada in history. It will and I can't wait for the day to come.
That was Yasmin Johnson, her daughter Yalila and Auntie Awah Warden and they were speaking with my co host Amy maguire. Just before we wrap up this week. I want you to think about a few of the things you heard in that interview, the mistreatment that Kevin Henry suffered over the years that reminds us about what's just gone on
in don Dale in the Northern Territory. I want you to think about the lack of legal representation that kept's had over the years, and the issues the women raised about that, and how that must have impacted on Kevin's
trial and his bid to prove his innocence. I also think it's vital to point out that those three women are obviously supporters of Kevin Henry, but like all the women we've spoken to in this series, particularly Aboriginal women, they've all spoken about Linda because they understand something that should be deeply disturbing to all Australians and he's quite frankly frightening to them that they too could have been a statistic a murdered woman who's never had justice, And
just like the abuses in Dondale, women being murdered in our society continue to this day and the justice is just as poor as it was twenty five years ago. We've also just heard of another death in custody. Again. It's about twenty five years since the Royal Commission into Black debts in custody and in that time there's been some four hundred deaths. The twenty five years that Kevin Henry has spent in prison don't just represent the twenty five years of his life that's been stolen from him
by the State of Queensland. They represent a further twenty five years in which we've failed women, particularly Aboriginal women, who have experienced violence, family violence, domestic violence, and tragically, like Linda, who have been murdered. It represents another twenty five years of black debts in custody and brutal treatment at the hands of police and sometimes corrective services officers.
It represents twenty five more years of Aboriginal people not getting the legal representation they deserve that our system demands if it is to live up to its expectations. Finally, it represents another twenty five years in our failings of Aboriginal people and the way our broader society has failed
to close that gap that Yasmin Johnson spoke of. How can that gap be closed when women are murdered and justice isn't done, When the wrong person is sent to jail and loses twenty five years of their life, When the people who are sent to jail are brutalized and traumatized, when they don't receive proper legal representation and have any chance to prove their innocence, and when they continue to be harassed by the police over the course of this podcast,
We've sought to interview absolutely everybody we can. We've spoken to international experts, We've spoken to as many witnesses that have come forward who have wanted to share their story. We haven't prevented anyone from telling their side of the
story or giving their version of events. But what you've heard from everyone we've spoken to, what you've heard from all the evidence, both old and new, what you've heard from the analysis of independent legal experts, who you've heard on this show, and what you've heard from all those who have lived in Rockhampton and Warabinda who have observed this ordeal. It's been the same. From every single person. Family member, stranger, elder, local legal expert, forensic expert. All
say one thing. Kevin Henry is an innocent man. So as we close episode twenty of Curtin the podcast, once again I ask you to spread the word about this case, contact the media, contact your local MP, and share this podcast as far and wide as you can. Justice requires it, justice demands it. For Kevin Henry, it's time he's set free. And for Linda, it's time that her real killers were brought to justice and her family can have the peace that they deserve. Join us next week for Curtain the Podcast