The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community is condemning the behaviour of police officers who have been caught verbally abusing Aboriginal teenagers at an Alice Springs watch house.
The footage from a CCTV camera, recorded in March 2018, was published by the ABC this week following a freedom of information request.
Obtained by journalists Stephanie Zillman and Jacqueline Breen, the video has sparked outrage from Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities alike, saying it shows an unforgivable lack of respect towards Indigenous teenagers.
The incident occurred only six months after the Royal Commission into the Detention and Protection of Children in the Northern Territory, which was designed to change the treatment of young Aboriginal people who are in detention facilities in NT. Evidently, it failed to stop the abuse.
Here's what you need to know about the video.
What is in the video?
The video shows police processing in custody five Aboriginal teenagers, aged between 12 and 16 years old, who had been arrested for allegedly driving a stolen car.
One part of the video shows a teenager being instructed to take off some of his clothing, before he says: “Every day, bro. I’d smack you in the head every day.”
A police officer responds aggressively, pushing his head against the table in front of him and twisting his arm behind his back.
"Every day? Every day? Today’s your day, you little c**t," the officer says. "Don’t f**king put off for tomorrow what you can do today. You can’t f**king do it, can you, because you’re a little c**t. That’s all you are… f**king waste of space."