Inquest into Aborignal cousins death has resumed, 3 decades after it occured
An inquest into the deaths of two aboriginal cousins in the state's far west has resumed, more than three decades after they were killed in a road crash.
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00:00 The families of Murawari and Kunja girl Mona Lisa Smith and her cousin Kunja Wankumara
00:07 teenager Jacinta Smith have been waiting for this day.
00:10 "This is a significant time for our family.
00:13 36 years later, here we are, so hoping to get the justice that our girls deserve."
00:20 Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan told them, "I hope some of your many questions can be answered."
00:26 Their bodies were later found on the side of the road north of Bourke.
00:31 The inquest heard Mr Grant, who since died, gave conflicting accounts of who was driving.
00:37 He initially admitted he was behind the wheel, but later said it was one of the girls.
00:42 Mr Grant was acquitted of driving offences and a charge of interfering with a corpse
00:47 was withdrawn before the trial.
00:49 Two witnesses, a passing motorist and a police officer were questioned about whether they
00:53 thought Jacinta Smith had been sexually assaulted after the crash.
00:57 They gave differing accounts as to the position of her body when they first arrived at the
01:02 scene.
01:03 The inquest will also examine failures identified during the initial police investigation.
01:09 Council Assisting Peggy Dwyer, SC, said, "It is unknown whether systemic racism or cultural
01:14 bias may have been an underlying factor in the initial police investigation, but that
01:19 issue will certainly be explored."
01:22 The inquest is due to hear from a range of medical and forensic experts.
01:26 [BLANK_AUDIO]