Institutional racism contributed to deaths of three Indigenous women, Queensland coroner finds

Coroner Nerida Wilson has found that with proper and adequate care, the deaths of Doomadgee residents Adele Sandy, Yvette Booth and Shakaya George could have been avoided. Photograph: Dave Hunt/AAP

A Queensland coroner has ruled institutional racism and a lack of cultural competency from health services contributed to the deaths of three Aboriginal women in the remote Indigenous community of Doomadgee, in northwest Queensland.

On Friday in Cairns, coroner Nerida Wilson said the deaths of Doomadgee residents Adele Sandy in 2019, aged 18, Yvette Booth in 2020, aged 17, and Shakaya George in 2020, aged 27, were caused by complications due to rheumatic heart disease (RHD), and with proper and adequate care could have been avoided.