By Rebecca Trigger and Cason Ho, for ABC
Mourners lay flowers at a memorial for Cassius Turvey on Patterson Road in Middle Swan. Photo: ABC News/Rebecca Trigger
Aboriginal families in Perth's east are afraid to let their children walk the streets after an indigenous teenager was allegedly bashed to death with a metal pole while walking home from school with friends.
Cassius Turvey, 15, died after allegedly being struck on the face with a pole wielded by a man who jumped out of a vehicle.
Cassius suffered a seizure some days later and, despite multiple surgeries, died on the weekend.
WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch released a statement earlier this week urging the community to "refrain from unfounded speculation" about the attack.
But community leaders and family friends say there is a growing fear Aboriginal children are at higher risk of assault.
Koya Aboriginal Corporation (KAC) director Cheryl Kickett-Tucker says Aboriginal parents are always on the alert, but "our alert levels have just risen".
Parents on edge
"It has made us parents, including myself, say to our children, 'Look, we're going to have to think twice about you going home from school or you going anywhere on your own,'" she said.
Professor Kickett-Tucker sits in an office with files behind her and a plant in the foreground.
"What they're doing is they're trying to safeguard their family and their children because it's been absolutely devastating for everyone."
KAC runs community outreach programs for local youths, and Cassius was a long-time member of its basketball program.
Dr Kickett-Tucker said through those programs KAC was offering the community support.
"The sort of things we're hearing from kids are, 'We can't believe he's gone,'" Dr Kickett-Tucker said.
"They're hurting terribly on the inside."
Emily Farmer, whose son was with Cassius just prior to the alleged attack, said she was scared to let her children walk the streets.
Cassius Turvey, 15, died after allegedly being struck on the face with a pole wielded by a man who jumped out of a vehicle. Photo: Supplied
"I was worried before, but this has made it 10 times, 100 times worse," Farmer said.
"We're constantly with the boys now. we're not letting them go anywhere.
"They're really kind of chaffing at the bit, but they also don't feel safe."
'We've been fighting this for so long'
She said while the incident had left her sad and angry, the groundswell of support from the wider community had given her hope for change.
"These are children," she said.
"You see the colour of their skin, you automatically think they're criminals.
"We've been fighting this for so long, and to think that we're still doing this.
"They're only kids. What's going to happen when they're older? Is it still going to carry on? Are they still going to cop all this?
"We're people, you know? People. Not just what we look like."
Pioneers Aboriginal Corporation chief executive Donna Nelson, a Balladong-Nyaki Nyaki woman, had known Cassius since he was born.
Donna Nelson wears a solemn expression
Nelson said the Aboriginal community was unhappy with the police commissioner's messaging about the incident, and called for more to be done to address safety concerns.
"There needs to be a whole-of-community conversation around racism," she said.
"The police inaction is making the community feel unsafe, because it's been an attack on innocent children."
People have been laying flowers on Patterson Drive in Middle Swan, where the incident occurred, under a tree that has also been decorated with fairy lights, plaited wool in red, yellow and black, and the Aboriginal flag.
A close up of a red rose and a card written to Cassius Turvey at the site of a memorial to the 15-year-old
Brenda, who asked that her surname not be used, came to pay her respects yesterday.
"I just don't know what to think," she said.
"I'm just feeling numb at the moment but incredibly sad that it happened to such a sweet kid.
"There's always concerns because you always face racism every day, but you never believe that it could come to this."
"You think you'd be safe in the community but at the moment, no. I don't even like the grandkids walking, running around."
Cassius an emerging young leader
Cassius has been remembered as a respectful young leader who was very involved with the community.
"You couldn't even talk about Cassius without smiling or having a bit of a laugh," Farmer said.
"He was such a beautiful kid, such a bright light. This solid rock.
"He was the good influence of the group, of all the boys. If Cassius wanted to do something, they would all follow.
"He started to work so they wanted to work. He was going to school, doing well, so the boys started going to school doing well.
"He was just such a big, big personality. So he is very, very missed."
WA Police initially charged 21-year-old Jack Steven James Brearley with unlawful wounding but that was upgraded to murder.
He is due back in court on 9 November.
