An Indigenous elder led a Welcome to Country ceremony at an AFL match days before he pleaded guilty to violently attacking his partner with an Aboriginal foraging tool in an alcohol-fuelled rage.
Lhere Artepe Aboriginal Corporation chair and Tangentyere Council director Benedict Stevens, was given a six-month suspended sentence in June after striking his partner on the head at an Alice Springs home in April.
While Mr Stevens volunteered to stand down as the Aboriginal liaison officer at Alice Springs Hospital, he retained his position on the Tangentyere Council – which tackles community issues such as domestic violence.
The shock revelations emerged after Mr Stevens met with Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro last Thursday, following a massive spike in violent crime in the outback town.
It is understood Ms Finocchiaro was not aware of Mr Stevens’ violent past when she met with him.
A statement of facts, seen by The Australian, alleged Mr Stevens had been drinking with his partner, his daughter’s partners and other family members on the afternoon April 19.
He left the suburban home and returned about 10.30pm.
Mr Stevens pleaded guilty to entering the home and retrieving a stick – understood to be a black and pink digging stick, traditionally used by Aboriginal women.
Benedict Stevens (left) led a pre-match Welcome to Country ceremony at an AFL game in Alice Springs days before he pleaded guilty to attacking his partner with a stick
He swung the stick at her head, striking her eyebrow and left a large laceration about 6cm long and 5cm wide.
Mr Stevens performed the Welcome to Country for a televised AFL match between the Melbourne Demons and Fremantle Dockers in Alice Springs in the week before he pleaded guilty.
He remains one of 14 directors on the Tangentyere Council and has defended his position, saying he has ‘changed’ since the attack.
‘I said to myself as well, ‘What the hell are you doing, Mr Stevens? You’re the TO (traditional owner) of this town, of Alice Springs. Why setting a bad example to them? You should be leading the way, showing respect to women’,’ he told the Australian.
However, Mr Stevens’ position of power, particularly in relation to domestic violence, has sparked outrage from many locals.
‘Why is somebody with serious domestic violence convictions sitting at the top of the food chain when you’ve got the (police) commissioner and Chief Minister talking about domestic violence in the town?’ one said.
Another said: ‘The Territory can’t have DV offenders as leaders, we’re a laughing stock.’
Mr Stevens defended his position of director on the Tangentyere Council, which tackles community issues – including domestic violence
Last year the federal government committed $2million to a ‘Women’s Voices’ campaign run by the Tangentyere Council.
The government has also set aside $1.25million in the last two years for family and domestic violence support.
Mr Stevens insists he’s using his Tangentyere Council position to steer people away from alcohol, which he blamed for the ‘accidental’ attack in April.
‘If you’re drinking alcohol, alcohol caused that problem. It’s all about alcohol … if you stay out of it, you’ll have a good life,’ he said.
He added he’s ‘getting away from alcohol’ and hopes use his story to deter other men from going down the same path’.
Mr Stevens met with Ms Finocchiaro alongside the Lhere Artepe Aboriginal Corporation last Thursday as part of her response to increased crime in the town.
There were reportedly ‘high level’ discussions on ways to combat the rise in violence but neither side made any commitments to funding.
Northern Territory Police has deployed extra officers from Darwin to Alice Srpings after a two-month-old baby was flown to an Adelaide hospital with a brain bleed and fractured skull.
The infant allegedly suffered the grave injuries during an alleged home invasion.
Police Commissioner Michael Murphy claimed violent crime, including sexual assault, abduction and theft, had been on the rise since December 3.
Other recent allegations included a woman who was raped in her own bed while a 57-year-old man was allegedly threatened by a teenage gang armed with a tomahawk until he gave them a bottle of whiskey.
Mr Stevens met with Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro (pictured) last week as part of her trip responding to increased violent crime in Alice Springs, despite having a violent history himself
Ms Finocchiaro’s two-day trip to Alice Springs was cut short.
NT Opposition Leader Selena Uibo claimed not enough was done to prepare for the ‘predictable’ uptick in crime.
‘It is extremely concerning that there was a shocking spate of violent crime in Katherine over the weekend, with reports of only one police unit in a town of 10,000 people to respond. This simply isn’t good enough,’ she said.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ms Finocchiaro’s office for comment.
