A woman has died in custody at Ballarat police station just before she was due to appear in court.
Victoria Police says the 50-year-old was arrested on Thursday, and when officers entered her cell to escort her to the hearing on Friday, they found her unresponsive.
They called an ambulance and tried to revive her using CPR but the woman died a short time later.
The Homicide Squad will investigate the death.
The inquiry will be overseen by the force's Professional Standards Command, which is standard when a person dies in police custody.
No details have been released concerning the woman's identity.
Four people died in police custody in Australia in March 2021, while the following month marked the 30th anniversary of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody.
More than 470 Indigenous people have died in custody in Australia since the commission's findings were released.
