WEBVTT - The Day We'd Dreamed Of 0:00:01.320 --> 0:00:01.520 Good. 0:00:02.800 --> 0:00:06.160 Just before nine o'clock last night, the jury returned guilty 0:00:06.280 --> 0:00:10.200 verdicts against all three defendants. It was absolute shambles, to 0:00:10.240 --> 0:00:12.639 tell you the truth, just absolutely really put his blood 0:00:12.680 --> 0:00:15.160 on his clothing. The day after the alleged a time. 0:00:15.040 --> 0:00:17.640 On a showow mud Bank and it fits Roy River basically. 0:00:17.680 --> 0:00:19.320 I think most of the people are used to me 0:00:19.720 --> 0:00:20.680 are good people. 0:00:20.760 --> 0:00:23.360 I think a really important question we need to ask 0:00:23.560 --> 0:00:26.480 is how many Indigenous prisoners in Australia are innocent. 0:00:27.400 --> 0:00:30.000 This is Kurtain, a podcast where we pull back the 0:00:30.000 --> 0:00:32.559 blinds to shine a light on the darkest parts of 0:00:32.560 --> 0:00:36.360 our justice system and ask who are the victims. I'm 0:00:36.360 --> 0:00:38.680 Amy Maguire and. 0:00:38.600 --> 0:00:42.240 I'm Martin Hodgson, a senior advocate for the Foreign Prisoner 0:00:42.240 --> 0:00:46.600 Support Service. And a warning, this series contains the names 0:00:46.600 --> 0:00:50.920 of deceased peoples and has distressing content that might upset 0:00:51.040 --> 0:00:52.280 some listeners. 0:00:53.640 --> 0:00:59.120 Welcome to a special episode of Curtain, the podcast. We've 0:00:59.120 --> 0:01:01.840 been working on keV Henry's case for more than four 0:01:01.920 --> 0:01:06.200 years now, and you've followed us over sixty episodes through 0:01:06.240 --> 0:01:09.319 a long journey that dates back to the year nineteen 0:01:09.400 --> 0:01:13.040 ninety one. Over recent months, people around the world have 0:01:13.120 --> 0:01:18.240 been socially isolating to protect themselves, their families, and their 0:01:18.280 --> 0:01:23.720 communities from the deadly coronavirus. We've also heard many people 0:01:23.800 --> 0:01:29.920 complain about being in hotels, luxury hotels, five star hotels 0:01:29.959 --> 0:01:35.119 for just fourteen days and claiming its like prison conditions. Well, 0:01:35.200 --> 0:01:39.200 Kevin Henry has spent ten thousand, three hundred and sixty 0:01:39.240 --> 0:01:45.240 five days in prison. But this year, on January twenty, 0:01:45.920 --> 0:01:50.080 why the rest of Australia was battling the bushfires and 0:01:50.160 --> 0:01:55.600 before the coronavirus had hit, something very special happened. Amy, 0:01:55.680 --> 0:01:58.360 can you tell the listeners what happened on January twenty 0:01:58.400 --> 0:01:58.840 this year? 0:02:00.120 --> 0:02:03.240 Sure, Martin, So, on January twenty this year, around nine am, 0:02:03.280 --> 0:02:05.880 I think it was, I received a call and on 0:02:05.920 --> 0:02:09.240 the other line was Kevin Henry. And that's not in itself, 0:02:09.280 --> 0:02:11.520 because over the past three years we've been talking quite 0:02:11.520 --> 0:02:13.600 regularly on the phone while he's been incarcerated in the 0:02:13.600 --> 0:02:19.120 Capricornia Correctional Center. But what was different the fact there 0:02:19.160 --> 0:02:22.560 wasn't the message at the beginning of the call you're 0:02:22.600 --> 0:02:25.680 receiving a call from an inmate from the Capricornia Correctional Center. 0:02:26.680 --> 0:02:28.720 It was actually just a call because Kevin Henry had 0:02:28.760 --> 0:02:30.720 just been released and he was a freeman. I'll buy 0:02:30.760 --> 0:02:35.000 it on parole conditions. So Kevin Henry, for the first 0:02:35.040 --> 0:02:41.040 time in nearly three decades, was actually leaving the confines 0:02:41.080 --> 0:02:45.840 of prison without handcuffs, and I remember just thinking, Wow, 0:02:45.880 --> 0:02:48.160 that's amazing because he actually made that point that you know, 0:02:48.200 --> 0:02:50.280 this is the first time he'd been outside without handcuff 0:02:50.320 --> 0:02:54.440 for nearly twenty eight twenty nine years. I remember just thinking, Oh, God, 0:02:54.639 --> 0:02:57.480 imagine how that feels. And he was talking about how 0:02:57.480 --> 0:03:01.320 it was so amazing to see the mountain and so, yeah, 0:03:01.400 --> 0:03:04.440 it was sort of it was such a special day 0:03:04.919 --> 0:03:09.240 for myself, for you and o Martin, for everyone who's 0:03:09.280 --> 0:03:12.800 helping Kevin's fight, everyone who's known his story around rock Hamton, 0:03:12.880 --> 0:03:16.320 all of his family, but most importantly for Kevin himself. 0:03:17.040 --> 0:03:18.919 And that's something that we haven't been able to tell 0:03:19.000 --> 0:03:22.440 our listeners for a whole host of reasons, which we 0:03:22.480 --> 0:03:25.079 may be able to discuss today. But as of now, 0:03:25.160 --> 0:03:27.400 Kevin Henry has been a free man for the past 0:03:27.520 --> 0:03:31.640 four months, but still obviously under parole conditions. So Martin, 0:03:31.680 --> 0:03:33.160 can I ask you a little bit about that day 0:03:33.240 --> 0:03:36.760 January twenty How did it feel like, you know, for 0:03:36.800 --> 0:03:41.000 the past three years working on Kevin's case, trying to 0:03:41.080 --> 0:03:44.440 get him out because we know he's an innocent man. 0:03:44.880 --> 0:03:47.840 From your perspective, what were your feelings on this day? 0:03:49.160 --> 0:03:53.280 Just a huge relief and happiness for Kevin and his family. 0:03:54.120 --> 0:03:58.960 I think it's a huge justification for Kevin's fight for 0:03:59.080 --> 0:04:04.119 thirty years that he walks out of there in civilian clothing, 0:04:04.600 --> 0:04:09.200 no handcuffs, and you know, is able just to look 0:04:09.240 --> 0:04:12.640 around and take everything in for the first time since 0:04:12.760 --> 0:04:17.400 nineteen ninety one, and just thinking about Kevin that whole 0:04:17.480 --> 0:04:20.920 day and how much the world has changed, how much 0:04:20.960 --> 0:04:25.080 he's been robbed of, you know, watching his family grow 0:04:25.200 --> 0:04:28.880 up and everything that we all take for granted. And 0:04:29.080 --> 0:04:32.520 perhaps people because of the coronavirus have a little bit 0:04:32.560 --> 0:04:36.760 more insight, only a tiny bit into what it's like 0:04:36.920 --> 0:04:40.360 to miss the things we normally do day to day, 0:04:40.440 --> 0:04:43.000 and you have to remember that for the best part 0:04:43.040 --> 0:04:45.920 of thirty years, Kevin has been robbed full of that. 0:04:46.200 --> 0:04:50.599 So for me, very emotional day, just so happy for 0:04:50.720 --> 0:04:56.000 Kevin and his family and that vindication for Kevin to 0:04:56.040 --> 0:04:59.920 have stayed so strong for so long and to find 0:05:00.120 --> 0:05:04.000 we walk out of there from out behind the bars 0:05:04.160 --> 0:05:08.599 is just an incredible thing. So, and you know, to, 0:05:08.920 --> 0:05:12.200 like you say, to speak to him under just completely 0:05:12.240 --> 0:05:15.919 different conditions. We're so used to being listened to whenever 0:05:15.960 --> 0:05:20.840 we speak to Kevin, having those conversations recorded, only being 0:05:20.880 --> 0:05:23.000 able to speak to him for sort of six or 0:05:23.040 --> 0:05:26.599 seven minutes at a time, and often being cut off 0:05:26.760 --> 0:05:31.159 or trying to ring back. And yeah, it's just this 0:05:31.360 --> 0:05:35.800 new beginning after a very long fight. And obviously we 0:05:35.920 --> 0:05:40.440 knew that day was coming, and as we will explain 0:05:40.480 --> 0:05:43.200 a little bit, we had to keep that secret and 0:05:43.240 --> 0:05:46.400 we've still kept a lot to ourselves and we won't 0:05:46.440 --> 0:05:51.640 reveal everything today. But even knowing it was coming, you're 0:05:51.680 --> 0:05:54.320 just still waiting for that moment to happen. So I 0:05:54.400 --> 0:05:58.200 definitely didn't sleep well for a few days leading up, 0:05:58.360 --> 0:06:05.000 but Eavan slept like a baby and has just been 0:06:05.000 --> 0:06:09.679 doing incredibly well. And I guess, Amy, you've spent time 0:06:09.760 --> 0:06:14.000 with Kevin since he's been out. How has that been 0:06:14.080 --> 0:06:17.240 and how's he doing? Yeah? 0:06:17.360 --> 0:06:19.960 So the thing, the other thing, amazing thing is I 0:06:19.960 --> 0:06:22.760 hadn't been able to see Kevin for about a year 0:06:23.160 --> 0:06:25.200 face to face, So I hadn't been able to go 0:06:25.320 --> 0:06:29.000 to the jail, So it really has been amazing to 0:06:29.040 --> 0:06:30.599 just be able to catch up with him and just 0:06:31.400 --> 0:06:33.880 as you said, talk free of surveillance, but just talking 0:06:33.960 --> 0:06:37.160 a friendly setting over a couple of copy. The thing 0:06:37.160 --> 0:06:41.520 I think is most amazing is just how he has 0:06:41.880 --> 0:06:46.320 been so quickly able to reconnect with his community, his 0:06:46.520 --> 0:06:48.800 family and a Wrribinda, but all of the mob he 0:06:48.839 --> 0:06:52.240 grew up with, and he's come out, and there's been 0:06:52.240 --> 0:06:55.039 the recognition immediately since he's come out that he's innocent, 0:06:55.520 --> 0:06:58.840 that he was done wrong. For so many years, there's 0:06:58.880 --> 0:07:03.360 not been one person his approach, you're a criminal, not 0:07:04.520 --> 0:07:06.520 But I think that's been the really amazing thing for 0:07:06.600 --> 0:07:11.040 Kevin to know he's come out with the knowledge that, 0:07:12.320 --> 0:07:14.680 you know, the majority of people who know about the case, no, 0:07:14.760 --> 0:07:17.800 he's innocent. And I think that's been being very special. 0:07:17.800 --> 0:07:20.080 It's very different, even though he hasn't been exonerated yet 0:07:20.120 --> 0:07:23.040 and obviously that's the flight we're going to continue. We 0:07:23.200 --> 0:07:25.360 know he's an innocent man, and that's something that's been 0:07:25.440 --> 0:07:29.240 stressed by a lot of the mobs he's seen just 0:07:29.280 --> 0:07:32.040 around the shops, you know, in Rocky and I think 0:07:32.040 --> 0:07:34.880 that's been really hardening for him. And has helped in 0:07:34.960 --> 0:07:37.120 the healing process. I can tell you that Kevin Henry 0:07:37.160 --> 0:07:40.960 is very strong persons, a very strong man, and yeah, 0:07:41.000 --> 0:07:44.160 he's definitely going to get through this. So the past 0:07:44.200 --> 0:07:46.000 few months, you know, there's always going to be struggled, 0:07:46.120 --> 0:07:48.720 as anyone who has been through such an adult a 0:07:48.840 --> 0:07:52.680 deal will have. But he's really taking it really well. 0:07:54.040 --> 0:07:55.960 And the first time I threw him, he had his parameter, 0:07:56.040 --> 0:08:00.600 Eels Jersey on straight away, so he's really doing well 0:08:00.680 --> 0:08:04.960 to just continue his life. So yeah, I think that's 0:08:04.960 --> 0:08:07.080 what's been the really great match support. And I'll just 0:08:07.080 --> 0:08:09.480 give one example. I was in the local shopping center 0:08:09.520 --> 0:08:12.080 with Kevin and I saw a local Aboriginal man who 0:08:12.080 --> 0:08:14.440 I knew had been listening to the podcast and I 0:08:14.440 --> 0:08:16.920 hadn't met Kevin before. He come out straight away and 0:08:16.960 --> 0:08:18.920 said a load to me and immediately started talking about 0:08:18.920 --> 0:08:21.600 the podcast and how, you know, how disgusting it was, 0:08:21.640 --> 0:08:23.800 what's happened to Kevin, and how he was I think 0:08:23.840 --> 0:08:26.640 thirty or forty episodes in and then I said, oh, oh, 0:08:26.720 --> 0:08:29.200 this is Kevin here, and the look on his face 0:08:29.640 --> 0:08:32.319 and it was just amazing and what he said to 0:08:32.360 --> 0:08:35.599 Kevin then and hopefully kind of been near future, you 0:08:35.679 --> 0:08:38.439 will be able to hear Kevin's own story from his 0:08:38.480 --> 0:08:42.040 own voice, and that's where it's incredibly powerful. But for now, 0:08:42.400 --> 0:08:46.080 he's doing really well, better than I think anyone else 0:08:46.720 --> 0:08:50.800 given the circumstances, because you maybe just informal listeners about 0:08:50.880 --> 0:08:54.040 why it was important for Kevin to get out in 0:08:54.120 --> 0:08:58.440 for all first before exonerating, because I think in other cases, 0:08:58.480 --> 0:09:03.640 obviously people have been cleared and been completely exonerated when 0:09:03.640 --> 0:09:05.679 they've walked free. Why was it important for us to 0:09:06.120 --> 0:09:07.439 go down that pole route? 0:09:08.280 --> 0:09:12.319 Yeah, definitely, And I think most people's understanding comes from 0:09:12.360 --> 0:09:17.960 the American system, and obviously the Australian legal system works 0:09:18.080 --> 0:09:22.600 very differently. And I also think most people's understanding comes 0:09:22.640 --> 0:09:25.360 from the movies. And very rarely do you have this 0:09:26.360 --> 0:09:30.640 clear cut where you spend decades in prison and then 0:09:30.720 --> 0:09:36.079 one day you just walk out. So the exoneration process 0:09:36.200 --> 0:09:39.240 is a very lengthy one and it's an unusual one 0:09:39.720 --> 0:09:44.040 in Australia, unlike in the United States, for example, where 0:09:44.920 --> 0:09:48.480 someone for example, sentenced to death will be able to 0:09:48.559 --> 0:09:52.560 appeal all the way up until literally the last minute, 0:09:53.120 --> 0:09:58.240 and you have appeals to appellate courts, Circuit courts, the 0:09:58.280 --> 0:10:02.600 Supreme Court of the United States, you petition the governor 0:10:02.679 --> 0:10:06.880 right up to the last moment, either for clemency or 0:10:06.920 --> 0:10:10.480 for a stay in Australia. That's just not how it works. 0:10:10.679 --> 0:10:13.240 And so what we've been in the process of doing, 0:10:13.360 --> 0:10:17.720 and we're preparing a second round of material, is to 0:10:18.440 --> 0:10:22.720 present that material to the Governor of Queensland for an 0:10:22.760 --> 0:10:27.000 official pardon for Kevin. But in the meantime, while all 0:10:27.040 --> 0:10:32.200 that goes along, Kevin's been sitting in prison. So what 0:10:32.320 --> 0:10:35.599 we began to do quite a long time ago, a 0:10:35.679 --> 0:10:40.840 number of years ago, was enter into negotiations for parole 0:10:41.280 --> 0:10:46.559 for Kevin. And clearly that there's two options you can take. 0:10:46.679 --> 0:10:50.360 You can stay in prison and never know how long 0:10:50.440 --> 0:10:54.680 it might take and whether you will be granted a pardon. 0:10:54.960 --> 0:10:57.959 And I should state that not a single living Aboriginal 0:10:58.360 --> 0:11:04.960 persons Land serving a life sentence has ever been granted 0:11:05.000 --> 0:11:09.880 a pardon. So when you're trying to make history, you 0:11:10.000 --> 0:11:13.200 can't play with someone's life. So the very important thing 0:11:13.360 --> 0:11:17.000 to us was that we got Kevin out of prison, 0:11:17.840 --> 0:11:23.920 and for that I think we need to understand that 0:11:23.920 --> 0:11:28.160 that means that Kevin is still under parole conditions. Which 0:11:28.200 --> 0:11:32.120 he absolutely accepts and he's doing really well with that. 0:11:33.800 --> 0:11:35.920 There's a lot of details we won't go into because 0:11:35.920 --> 0:11:40.360 they're just not necessary on any of that, but the 0:11:40.400 --> 0:11:43.760 idea was really that to allow Kevin to be out 0:11:43.800 --> 0:11:47.480 on the outside and begin to enjoy his life and 0:11:47.600 --> 0:11:52.280 reclaim his freedom while we continue to fight for his 0:11:52.480 --> 0:11:57.600 full exoneration and a complete pardon. So that's also part 0:11:57.640 --> 0:12:00.960 of the reason you won't hear Kevin's voice today. Part 0:12:00.960 --> 0:12:04.960 of parole conditions in Queensland is that a person doesn't 0:12:05.000 --> 0:12:11.400 speak to the media, and for now, obviously Kevin isn't 0:12:11.400 --> 0:12:15.000 doing that, and I will state that we won't tolerate 0:12:15.280 --> 0:12:20.040 media approaching Kevin. Any media questions can come to me. 0:12:21.240 --> 0:12:26.959 It's very obvious to contact through Curtin the podcast website, 0:12:27.720 --> 0:12:32.320 which is freely available on Google. There's our Twitter page, 0:12:32.360 --> 0:12:36.000 our Facebook page, which are all very well known, so 0:12:36.120 --> 0:12:39.480 any media thinking of making contact can just forget about that. 0:12:40.840 --> 0:12:43.920 But the main thing was to ensure that more days 0:12:43.920 --> 0:12:48.320 weren't lost for Kevin and for his family. Kevin's been 0:12:48.360 --> 0:12:51.800 in prison for the best part of thirty years. His 0:12:51.920 --> 0:12:54.880 father has passed away in that time. Many of his 0:12:55.040 --> 0:12:59.319 friends and family have passed away in that time and 0:13:00.120 --> 0:13:02.920 it just wasn't fair or right for him to spend 0:13:03.040 --> 0:13:05.840 any longer in prison than he needed to, so we 0:13:05.920 --> 0:13:09.720 had to make a strategic decision. And getting parole wasn't 0:13:09.760 --> 0:13:14.240 easy either, and that was a long drawn out process 0:13:14.360 --> 0:13:18.840 that we put thousands of hours of work into with 0:13:19.000 --> 0:13:22.400 Helen Blabber, who we need to think a lot from 0:13:22.480 --> 0:13:25.760 Prisoner's Legal Service, and I would encourage people to support 0:13:25.800 --> 0:13:31.000 the work they do. So really where we sit now 0:13:31.080 --> 0:13:34.480 is Kevin is out and on parole, and we are 0:13:34.520 --> 0:13:37.240 continuing to push and do all the work we need 0:13:37.280 --> 0:13:40.640 to do to have his name cleared once and for all. 0:13:40.679 --> 0:13:44.000 But as I say, given that no Aboriginal person has 0:13:44.040 --> 0:13:48.280 ever been pardoned while they've been alive in Queensland, we 0:13:48.320 --> 0:13:50.880 are trying to make history here and that's not going 0:13:50.920 --> 0:13:51.760 to happen overnight. 0:13:54.040 --> 0:13:57.440 Martin. I has also wanted to stress the vital work 0:13:57.520 --> 0:14:00.320 of Helen at the Prison of Legal Service and much 0:14:00.360 --> 0:14:02.960 been unsum work as the majority of the work she 0:14:03.080 --> 0:14:05.719 and the prison as Legal Service do, and she has 0:14:05.800 --> 0:14:08.240 just been She's been Kevin's lawyer for the past I'm 0:14:08.280 --> 0:14:10.760 not sure how many years, but she has been so 0:14:10.800 --> 0:14:13.840 instrumental to what we're seeing today in Kevin being able 0:14:13.880 --> 0:14:16.959 to free book out of those walls on for all. 0:14:17.400 --> 0:14:19.520 I just really want to thank Hellen and the Prisoner's 0:14:19.600 --> 0:14:22.400 Legal Service and the people who do it without any 0:14:22.720 --> 0:14:27.560 recognition and also without the majority of its compensations. Unders 0:14:27.600 --> 0:14:29.720 do it because they know that this is the right 0:14:29.760 --> 0:14:32.840 thing to do. And I think that's shown what I've 0:14:32.880 --> 0:14:36.400 seen in helping Kevin and campaigning for Kevin is that 0:14:36.640 --> 0:14:39.359 we don't have a lot of those people in Queensland 0:14:39.560 --> 0:14:42.960 or nationally. I just really want to stress how important 0:14:43.320 --> 0:14:46.440 and vital the work of Palen Blabber is in the 0:14:46.440 --> 0:14:48.640 prison of Legal Service and how it should be supported 0:14:48.880 --> 0:14:51.680 mad And I guess some of our listeners maybe thinking, 0:14:51.680 --> 0:14:55.040 you know, like Kevin is under prole conditions in which 0:14:55.080 --> 0:14:58.400 he can't speak to media, why are we actually why 0:14:58.440 --> 0:15:03.760 are we actually informing our listeners of this now currently? 0:15:04.680 --> 0:15:08.840 Well, I think as people might understand that once someone 0:15:08.920 --> 0:15:13.640 gets out, word travels fast, and we wanted to give 0:15:13.720 --> 0:15:16.720 Kevin a few months to settle in and to adjust 0:15:16.800 --> 0:15:19.800 to being in the outside world. But also there's been 0:15:19.800 --> 0:15:24.280 a lot of chatter on social media about his case, 0:15:24.320 --> 0:15:29.280 obviously because there's been a lot of media, primarily through 0:15:29.400 --> 0:15:32.520 the podcast, and for that we have to thank our listeners. 0:15:32.640 --> 0:15:36.600 Everybody that's listened to this podcast has helped play a 0:15:36.720 --> 0:15:39.760 role in getting to the point that you know, as 0:15:39.800 --> 0:15:43.280 we speak, Kevin is sitting in his living room and 0:15:43.360 --> 0:15:47.600 not in a prison cell. But it was important to 0:15:47.720 --> 0:15:52.520 us and I think it's important for Kevin that there's 0:15:52.520 --> 0:15:56.960 no misinformation out in the public domain, that also people 0:15:57.000 --> 0:16:01.360 have followed this case very closely, and that people be 0:16:01.480 --> 0:16:04.560 informed of what's been happening, because I think it's important 0:16:04.640 --> 0:16:08.680 that we understand that there's many, many other Aboriginal people 0:16:08.880 --> 0:16:13.520 like Kevin Henry in prison. Derek Bromley is obviously someone 0:16:13.560 --> 0:16:17.880 we've spoken about a lot who is approaching nearly forty 0:16:17.960 --> 0:16:21.600 years in prison for a crime he clearly did not commit, 0:16:22.120 --> 0:16:25.760 as you've heard on an earlier episode of Curtin. And 0:16:25.840 --> 0:16:29.200 so we also want people to understand the process that 0:16:29.400 --> 0:16:33.680 these are very drawn out procedures. This is not something 0:16:33.720 --> 0:16:37.560 that happens overnight. So it's as much about keeping people 0:16:37.640 --> 0:16:40.880 informed about the way things work as it is about 0:16:40.920 --> 0:16:47.000 avoiding misinformation. As we've stated, Kevin's not going to give 0:16:47.400 --> 0:16:50.760 any public comment until he's cleared and allowed to do so. 0:16:53.320 --> 0:16:56.760 But I also should add too that the people that 0:16:56.920 --> 0:17:01.720 have known and supported Kevin, known been out and supported Kevin, 0:17:02.240 --> 0:17:05.120 have been wonderful not only in their love and support 0:17:05.160 --> 0:17:09.280 for Kevin, but in making sure that Kevin wasn't harassed 0:17:09.320 --> 0:17:13.439 by the media and that his transition after all this 0:17:13.560 --> 0:17:18.120 time into regular life has been made as easy as possible. 0:17:18.160 --> 0:17:21.080 And for that, I really want to acknowledge the strength 0:17:21.280 --> 0:17:25.479 of the war Abinda community and thank the elders and 0:17:25.520 --> 0:17:29.040 all the people in Worabinda for their support for Kevin 0:17:29.080 --> 0:17:33.400 and what they've done to help us get to this day. 0:17:33.520 --> 0:17:36.359 You know, it's more than just us, and also the 0:17:36.400 --> 0:17:40.439 Aboriginal community of Rockhampton. There's just been this tremendous amount 0:17:40.440 --> 0:17:43.719 of support. And one thing that's really telling for me 0:17:44.000 --> 0:17:49.440 is that what people really need to understand is Kevin 0:17:49.720 --> 0:17:53.600 has served more time than almost any other prisoner in 0:17:53.640 --> 0:17:57.359 this circumstance in Australian history. And yet you're not going 0:17:57.440 --> 0:18:00.919 to hear of any QC or any amous lawyer, or 0:18:00.960 --> 0:18:04.360 anyone who has got to this point to get Kevin 0:18:04.560 --> 0:18:07.879 out breathing the fresh air on the outside. That has 0:18:07.920 --> 0:18:12.800 simply not happened. There's been no large amounts of money 0:18:12.920 --> 0:18:15.280 to do this. This has all been thousands of hours 0:18:15.480 --> 0:18:20.800 of volunteer work of people, whether it's Amy and myself, 0:18:20.920 --> 0:18:24.400 whether it's Helen who you've heard about, and whether it's 0:18:24.440 --> 0:18:28.399 the members of the community in Warabinda and people in 0:18:28.520 --> 0:18:32.360 Rockhampton who have done incredible things to do what they 0:18:32.480 --> 0:18:38.440 can to support Kevin. And most importantly, we often hear 0:18:38.560 --> 0:18:44.520 that lawyers and well known people are centered in these fights. Well, 0:18:44.520 --> 0:18:48.520 there's really only one person that has led this from 0:18:48.600 --> 0:18:52.920 start to finish, who was wronged more than anyone will 0:18:52.960 --> 0:18:57.000 ever understand, and who has maintained strength for the best 0:18:57.040 --> 0:19:02.359 part of thirty years, and that's Kevin Henry. And Kevin 0:19:02.400 --> 0:19:07.040 Henry never quit on Kevin Henry, and without him we 0:19:07.080 --> 0:19:09.760 could never have got to this point. We've always been 0:19:09.800 --> 0:19:14.200 working for Kevin. Helen's been working for Kevin, I have Amy, 0:19:14.320 --> 0:19:18.280 has the whole community who have supported him without money, 0:19:18.440 --> 0:19:22.920 without the usual things that any other case gets. Kevin's 0:19:22.960 --> 0:19:26.320 strength is what has kept us all going when we've 0:19:26.400 --> 0:19:29.280 thought we were doing it tough in trying to overcome 0:19:29.359 --> 0:19:35.720 this huge hurdle of seeking Kevin's freedom and most of all, 0:19:36.160 --> 0:19:39.800 it's Kevin who I want to pay the greatest tribute 0:19:39.920 --> 0:19:44.119 to for his incredible strength to overcome something none of 0:19:44.200 --> 0:19:47.320 us will ever understand and ever be able to comprehend. 0:19:48.240 --> 0:19:51.239 And I think people really need to think about that 0:19:51.520 --> 0:19:55.080 long and hard. When you hear of not only Kevin's case, 0:19:55.840 --> 0:19:58.359 but all of the other Aboriginal people you've heard about 0:19:58.400 --> 0:20:03.360 who are wrongly in prisoned around Australia. The enormous strength 0:20:03.640 --> 0:20:07.560 and dignity that they show behind bars every day to 0:20:07.640 --> 0:20:11.280 fight for their own freedom, years and years and years, 0:20:11.400 --> 0:20:15.199 not locked in bloody five star hotels for two weeks 0:20:15.280 --> 0:20:16.879 knowing they're going to get out, and with all the 0:20:17.000 --> 0:20:22.200 luxury and support, but tens of thousands of days. And 0:20:22.280 --> 0:20:24.199 I think people should just sit on that for a 0:20:24.240 --> 0:20:28.160 moment and think about the strength and residience of Kevin, 0:20:29.119 --> 0:20:33.480 of his family and his community, and of Aboriginal people 0:20:33.600 --> 0:20:37.119 more broadly. Forget about the QCs. They don't win these 0:20:37.359 --> 0:20:41.119 cases and they haven't contributed a single thing here. This 0:20:41.280 --> 0:20:43.960 is about the strength of one man and the culture 0:20:44.000 --> 0:20:44.840 he comes from. 0:20:45.160 --> 0:20:48.919 Money. He did briefly mention these generation fight and that 0:20:48.960 --> 0:20:52.600 it will be continuing. What can I guess listeners expect 0:20:52.720 --> 0:20:55.439 next or what are the next steps that we are 0:20:55.480 --> 0:20:56.640 able to tell our listeners. 0:20:57.240 --> 0:20:59.480 So I think one thing we can say is that 0:21:00.080 --> 0:21:03.040 now that we've made this information available, we will be 0:21:03.080 --> 0:21:06.600 able to update our listeners more regularly on where we're 0:21:06.680 --> 0:21:11.600 up to with the exoneration. As people will probably understand 0:21:11.800 --> 0:21:15.560 a crime that took place thirty years ago, with many 0:21:15.600 --> 0:21:19.679 of the witnesses tragically no longer with us, and with 0:21:19.800 --> 0:21:25.280 a seriously botched police investigation, it's very difficult to unravel. 0:21:25.840 --> 0:21:30.400 So not only are we having to collate witness statements 0:21:30.480 --> 0:21:35.880 and present everything in what is a huge document, It's 0:21:35.920 --> 0:21:40.479 the size of a textbook to be put together on 0:21:40.600 --> 0:21:44.240 this case. To present all the evidence, it's really important 0:21:44.280 --> 0:21:47.400 that no stone is left unturned, and so we're really 0:21:47.440 --> 0:21:50.320 going through the process of drafting all of that up 0:21:51.240 --> 0:21:55.160 in a legal framework and putting all the evidence together 0:21:55.840 --> 0:21:59.600 that not only shows Kevin's innocence, but shows what really 0:21:59.680 --> 0:22:04.520 happened and in that period in nineteen ninety one that 0:22:04.600 --> 0:22:08.800 tragically took the life of Linda. And what's really important 0:22:08.800 --> 0:22:12.280 to us is that the truth is ultimately known and 0:22:12.359 --> 0:22:17.000 comes out. So that process is where we put all 0:22:17.160 --> 0:22:19.800 collate all this information, as I say, into a huge 0:22:19.840 --> 0:22:24.720 document and I have some assistance with doing that, and 0:22:24.760 --> 0:22:27.840 then it is presented to the Governor of Queensland for 0:22:27.880 --> 0:22:31.919 their consideration and they hold the sole power to grant 0:22:31.960 --> 0:22:35.760 an official pardon. But now that we've made this information 0:22:35.840 --> 0:22:39.159 available today that we have will update our listeners and 0:22:39.200 --> 0:22:43.639 also we could share some more information through our Facebook 0:22:43.680 --> 0:22:46.840 page and on Twitter as we go so people are 0:22:46.880 --> 0:22:50.040 aware of what's going on, because this is going to 0:22:50.040 --> 0:22:53.440 be a process that many other Aboriginal prisoners are going 0:22:53.480 --> 0:22:58.120 to need to go down. Derek Bromley, as I mentioned, 0:22:58.200 --> 0:23:02.720 is in South Australia, and there are hundreds of others 0:23:02.760 --> 0:23:07.760 who faced this similar situation where appeals processes ran out 0:23:07.800 --> 0:23:11.159 and were wasted years ago through no fault of the 0:23:11.160 --> 0:23:15.439 prisoner themselves. And this is the only process available to 0:23:15.520 --> 0:23:19.320 us in Australia is to appeal to the Governor, and 0:23:19.359 --> 0:23:24.680 it's an exhaustive and long process, but we are absolutely 0:23:24.720 --> 0:23:28.840 committed and will not stop until the records are amended 0:23:29.080 --> 0:23:32.439 and Kevin Henry is marked a free and innocent man. 0:23:32.720 --> 0:23:36.280 And I also want to think another very important factor 0:23:36.400 --> 0:23:41.119 in Kevin's recent release from prison, and that's obviously the 0:23:41.160 --> 0:23:43.760 audience for Curtain, and all of the support is for Curtain, 0:23:44.160 --> 0:23:47.320 but articularly those who have stuck with the podcast as 0:23:47.359 --> 0:23:50.600 we've continued over the past three years. Your support has 0:23:50.640 --> 0:23:54.200 been so important in so many different ways that hopefully 0:23:54.200 --> 0:23:56.600 one day we'll be able to tell the full story 0:23:57.680 --> 0:24:02.720 of how you know, important international and national support but 0:24:02.800 --> 0:24:05.800 also local supporter really helped. And then it's the man 0:24:05.840 --> 0:24:09.960 who's been wrongly convicted for the past twenty I mean 0:24:10.040 --> 0:24:12.640 getting up to thirty years now. So I just want 0:24:12.680 --> 0:24:15.000 to thank for our listeners as well, all across the 0:24:15.040 --> 0:24:19.800 world and all across Australia physically in rock Camden, because 0:24:19.880 --> 0:24:21.760 there have been a lot of supporters at a local 0:24:21.840 --> 0:24:24.000 level and very important sorry I won't say that, and 0:24:24.119 --> 0:24:26.120 very important supporters as well. So I want to thank 0:24:26.119 --> 0:24:30.200 our listeners. And I also want to echo the sentiment 0:24:30.320 --> 0:24:33.720 of Marden in which he you know, talked about the 0:24:33.760 --> 0:24:36.720 most important person in this who's never given up the fight, 0:24:36.760 --> 0:24:39.760 and that's Kevin himself. And I can tell our listeners 0:24:39.800 --> 0:24:41.880 that he is not going to quit any time soon, 0:24:41.920 --> 0:24:44.919 that this fight will be continuing, not only until this 0:24:45.240 --> 0:24:50.680 injustice is reversed and you know, his colleagues, but also 0:24:50.720 --> 0:24:54.359 for other Aboriginal prisoners and for other young Murray kids 0:24:54.359 --> 0:24:56.879 growing up today who are going through the same things 0:24:56.960 --> 0:24:58.840 that Kevin went through it when he was young. So 0:24:59.359 --> 0:25:02.080 I want to thank not only our listeners, but Kevin 0:25:02.160 --> 0:25:05.320 himself for being an inspiration as we continue to work 0:25:05.400 --> 0:25:06.040 with his case. 0:25:06.560 --> 0:25:09.199 So just as we close out this special episode of 0:25:09.280 --> 0:25:12.440