Family of abducted Alice Springs 5yo girl, Kumanjayi Little Baby, flee home after tragedy, unrest erupts town

The grieving family of a five-year-old girl allegedly abducted and murdered by a man known to them has fled their Alice Springs home forever, declaring the site of her disappearance holds too much emotional weight to remain.

As floral tributes mount at the Marshall Court property where the child, known as Kumanjayi Little Baby, was snatched last Sunday, her grandmother Karen White revealed the family would permanently retreat to the remote community of Yuendumu.

“It’s too much. I cannot go back there. I never can again,” Ms White told the Daily Mail.

“She was just so beautiful and such a good girl and I miss her.”

The young girl’s body was discovered in scrubland on Thursday, roughly 5km from the Old Timers Camp home she was taken from.

While the mother, Jacinta, has sought refuge in a safe house, the family’s departure marks a tragic end to a week that has fractured the outback town.

Senior Warlpiri elder and family spokesman Robin Granites issued a poignant plea for calm, urging the community to cease the violent unrest that has overshadowed the family’s loss.

“What has happened this week is not our way,” Mr Granites said.

“Our children are precious. It is time now for sorry business, to show respect for our family and have space for grieving and remembering.”

The arrest of 47-year-old suspect Jefferson Lewis sparked a vigilante uprising that saw a mob of 400 people lay siege to Alice Springs Hospital.

The NT Police Commissioner Martin Dole described the scenes as “absolute anarchy”.

Mr Dole has called for calm across the red centre, shutting down calls for traditional payback on Mr Lewis, saying there is “one law” in Australia.

“That one law applies to everybody, including the people that were involved in the violence last night,” he said.

“Mr Lewis is in police custody. There will be a prosecution commenced and the court case will proceed.

“So I’m telling the community that that’s what’s going to occur and that’s what needs to be accepted by the community.”

The suspect was reportedly unconscious and suffering from a “sustained attack” by members of a town camp when police arrived to arrest him.

“My briefing is that he presented himself to one of the town camps in Alice Springs last night,” he said on Friday morning.

“As a result of presenting himself, members of that town camp decided to inflict vigilante justice upon him and we received numerous phone calls saying he was in the process of being assaulted.

“We responded very quickly and we stopped that from continuing.”

He was later airlifted to Darwin for his own safety as rioters outside the hospital torched police cars and hurled bricks at emergency workers.

“Large crowds gathered at the hospital, up to about 400 people, and attempted to gain entry to get to Mr Lewis,” Mr Dole said.

“It really descended into absolute anarchy.

“There is absolutely no excuse for violence against emergency services that are just doing their job,

“A police officer that responded to the assault and the arrest of Jefferson Lewis had to be treated and receive stitches for a head wound.

“A Northern Territory Fire and Rescue officer received a significant facial injury and had to be treated at the hospital and several ambulance officers were also attacked and received soft tissue injuries as a result of that violence.”

Footage of the arrest shows police arriving at the scene to find Mr Lewis lying face-down in the dirt unconscious.

His face appears bloodied when police roll him on to his side and handcuff him.

Aboriginal Elder Michael Liddle slammed the violence, noting that the rage of a few had sabotaged a week of community solidarity.

“The community of Alice Springs came together searching for a little lady, a little baby that was taken by a monster,” the Alyawarre man said.

“That hard work was undone by people who are very angry with the systems.”

The fallout has crippled local infrastructure.

According to the NT News, damage to a looted Shell service station could top $100,000, while four out of the town’s five ambulances were side lined by the chaos.

In response to the volatility, NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro has enforced strict alcohol limits in the area.

Mr Dole warned that while Mr Lewis faces prosecution, the rioters — and anyone who helped the suspect evade capture — would also be hunted down.

“That one law applies to everybody,” Mr Dole said.

“Your behaviour will not be accepted.”