Thousands of Australians gathered at candlelight vigils across the country on Thursday evening to honour a five-year-old Indigenous girl whose suspected murder has shaken the nation.
The child, referred to as Kumanjayi Little Baby for cultural reasons, disappeared from the Old Timers/Ilyperenye town camp near Alice Springs on 25 April. Her body was found five days later, about five kilometres south of the camp, after a massive community-led search involving hundreds of volunteers.
A 47-year-old man, Jefferson Lewis, has been charged with murder and two other offences that have not been publicly disclosed for legal reasons.
The case is due back in court on 30 July.
The death of the five-year-old, who was also non-verbal, has triggered an outpouring of grief nationwide, with vigils held in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra and Hobart, along with dozens of smaller regional communities.
Mourners were asked to wear pink, the young girl’s favourite colour, and many arrived carrying pink balloons, ribbons, candles and flowers, local media reported.
The vigil in her hometown of Alice Springs is being held to create “a space for everyone to channel their grief and show their support to the family”, mayor Asta Hill said in a social media post.
At the main vigil in Alice Springs, hundreds gathered at Anzac Oval. Traditional smoking ceremonies were held, and families lit candles in silence.
In a message read out at the gathering, the girl’s mother described her daughter as a “special” child who loved puppies.
“She loved watching Bluey and Masha and the Bear, APT by Bruno Mars and Rose, Golden by Kpop Demon Hunters. She loved playing Minecraft with her big brother.
“She was my little princess. My princess who loved the colour pink.”
The grieving mother, via a spokesperson, also told mourners that her “heart is broken into a million pieces” and that she did not know how she could live without her daughter.
“I want you to know how I am having trouble knowing how I can repair it and knowing how I can live without my little baby.
“Your support, prayers and love have provided me with great comfort.”
