The scale of police force used against protesters in Sydney last month has sparked national outrage and renewed scrutiny of police conduct.
But the latest Call It Out Racism Register report confirms that racism within the criminal legal system is still deeply embedded, reinforcing previous reporting.
The current report, published by the Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research and the National Justice Project, highlights a number of horrific incidents of police misconduct and neglect.
One account describes an Aboriginal woman arrested after filming police using force on a child in a shopping centre. While in custody, she reported being denied medical assistance despite repeated requests, refused access to an Aboriginal liaison officer, subjected to invasive searches, and ridiculed when expressing concern for her health. She later lodged a complaint with police, but no action was taken.
Other incidents reported describe inadequate police investigations into racially motivated assaults in public venues. Victims reported being dismissed by police and treated as though they were at fault. Witnesses also reported police extinguishing a sacred ceremonial fire and confiscating cultural tools at Camp Sovereignty in Kings Domain.
The report also highlights broader patterns of systemic harm. These include repeated police targeting of families for issues that would normally warrant a caution, and causing unnecessary distress and intimidation by sending multiple officers to residences for minor matters.
Rebecca Lewis, Research Fellow at the Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research, said this year’s reports revealed particular concern about police responses to First Nations victims of crime:
“A key issue we saw in the report was police consistently dismissing reports from First Nations people when they were reporting being victims. Requests to review CCTV footage or press charges were persistently denied. Victims described inadequate investigations, police ignoring them, and police stereotyping crimes as the ‘Aboriginal problem’.
“What emerges is a pattern of over-policing, surveillance and lack of cultural respect that perpetuates trauma and reinforces mistrust. These are not isolated events. They reflect systemic structures that continue to deny safety, dignity and proper accountability.”
The current reporting period for the Call It Out Racism Register closes on 20 March 2026. Reports can be made by First Nations people directly affected, as well as by non-Indigenous people who witness racism against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
