Australia’s first truth-telling inquiry finds British committed genocide of Indigenous people
British colonisers committed genocide against Australia’s first people: landmark inquiry
- Australia's first truth-telling inquiry, the Yoorrook Justice Commission, concluded that British colonisation of Victoria constituted genocide against Aboriginal people.
- The commission's final report detailed atrocities including mass killings, sexual violence, and cultural erasure, leading to the decimation of the First Peoples population.
- Key recommendations include financial and non-financial compensation for Victorian First Peoples and redress through a treaty framework for historical injustices.
- The report also called for the First Peoples Assembly to become a permanent decision-making body and urged truth-telling initiatives in education, health, and memorialisation.
- Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan welcomed the report and committed to considering its findings, while the Liberal opposition stated it would not support making the First Peoples Assembly permanent or the treaty process.