His death means there have been 34 deaths in Victorian custody,including 24deaths in correction facilities,since recommendations were made in 1991 after anational royal commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody.
Erdogan confirmed the man’s death in a statement to the commission,but said he would not disclose the man’s name due to the family’s wishes.
Earlier,women prisoners at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre told the inquiry that what happened tothe late Aboriginal woman Veronica Nelson occurs regularly at the prison,but people only care when someone dies.
Nelson died alone in her cell in January 2020 from complications of a gastrointestinal condition amid heroin withdrawal.
A coroner found her death was preventable and corrections officials failed to provide her with adequate health care.
Erdogan said on Monday he was unaware of the women’s reports,but described them as terrible and said mistreatment should not happen.