Dying Rose by Douglas Smith, Kathryn Bermingham, Emily Olle and Gemma Jones

Book Description

Secondhand. Near fine condition.

An investigation into the deaths of six Aboriginal women and the police responses that left families reeling 'If you think it's hard being a white woman in Australia, try being a black woman.' These were the words that set a team of journalists at the Adelaide Advertiser on an investigation into the tragic deaths of six young Indigenous women. It was Courtney Hunter-Hebberman who uttered those words, up on stage at an International Women's Day event.

A shocking number of Indigenous women die every year by murder or suicide, and Courtney's daughter, Rose, was one of them. Rose's apparent death by suicide at nineteen, in a backyard shed, had left her mother craving answers - answers the police seemed unable to give her.

Inspired by Courtney's courage and grief, the Advertiser team hoped to shed light on Rose's death and ease Courtney's mind. But what they found, as their investigation of one death rolled into another five, was disturbing. Lack of urgency, sloppy searches, poor communication, and police assumptions were just some of the problems. As the team probed further, even bigger questions arose about whether Indigenous Australians, especially women, are heard when they speak.

Based on the podcast Dying Rose, this is a compelling look at young Indigenous women's vulnerability to danger, and how, when their lives are cut short, their families are left to cope with a grief seemingly compounded by indifference.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers, please note that this book may contain descriptions and/or images of people who have passed away.