Tensions have flared again in Kalgoorlie after the house where the man charged with the manslaughter of 14-year-old Indigenous boy Elijah Doughty reportedly lived was burned down overnight.
Emergency services were called to the rented house at 6.30pm on Wednesday but were unable to put out the blaze. It destroyed the property, causing $250,000 worth of damage.
Western Australian police said on Thursday the fire was being treated as suspicious and the arson squad would investigate.
Doughty, a young football star, died in Gribble Creek reserve on 29 August after the motorbike he was riding was allegedly struck from behind by a 4WD ute. The driver of the ute, a 55-year-old non-Indigenous man, was later charged with manslaughter.
The death sparked a riot outside the Kalgoorlie magistrates court the next day when more than 200 Indigenous people attended the Hannan Street courthouse to protest against Elijah’s death. A small number of people threw rocks through windows of the courthouse and smashed the windows of police cars. Seven people were charged in connection with the disturbance.
The man accused of manslaughter was remanded in custody and, after his first scheduled court appearance was interrupted, appeared via video link at a court in Perth on 31 August. He remains in custody and will appear in court again in Perth on 28 September.
Guardian Australia understands the man’s family left Kalgoorlie-Boulder the week he was charged.
Indigenous people in the town said racist comments on local anti-crime social media pages had heightened community tension. The pages were shut down at the request of Kalgoorlie police but have since been replaced.
Posts on the “Kalgoorlie crimes whinge and whine 2” page blamed Wednesday night’s house fire on Indigenous people, saying: “They don’t want racism but then they act like this or the riot. I think white people in the town have been very patient up until now … If I was indigenous in this town atm [at the moment] I would hide.”
Elijah’s family, led by his grandfather Albert Doughty, have spoken against the riots and against negative reactions from both non-Indigenous and Indigenous people, saying their only priority was to get justice for Elijah.
