Veronica Nelson was on remand when she was found dead in her cell at the maximum security Dame Phyllis Frost Centre in Melbourne in January 2020.Veronica Nelson was on remand when she was found dead in her cell at the maximum security Dame Phyllis Frost Centre in Melbourne in January 2020.An inquest into the death in custody of an Aboriginal woman held in remand over theft-related offences will probe the state’s bail laws and healthcare in prisons when it begins on Tuesday.
“Veronica should still be alive today and we hope to get some answers that help us understand why she is not and ensure it never happens again,” she said. At a 2020 directions hearing, the Victorian coroner’s court heard Nelson had cried for help multiple times in the three hours before her death. During that time, prison and nursing staff did not check on Nelson physically, but communicated with her through an intercom system and a door flap, the court was told.The court also heard Nelson had been experiencing heroin withdrawals.
Nelson had been arrested on Spencer Street in Melbourne on 30 December 2019, on theft charges and an outstanding warrant. After the Bourke Street killings in 2017, the Andrews government tightened Victoria’s bail laws. Under the reform – which has resulted in a significant increase in the state’s remand population and delays for court hearings – the person charged with an offence must prove they meet “exceptional circumstances” or have “compelling reasons” to be released on bail.
“The bail system, even at its best, is discriminatory because it doesn’t account for factors that would systemically discriminate against Aboriginal people. For example, there’s a higher chance of getting bail if you’re employed and have secure housing, and don’t move around.”Last month, a wide-ranging inquiry into Victoria’s criminal justice system recommended the state review its bail laws, with the changes leading to a rise in the number of people on remand.