Cassius Turvey: Busselton residents call for justice and an end to violence during candlelight vigil

As Australia reels from the shocking death of Cassius Turvey, Busselton locals have called for justice and an end to violence in hope that the young boy did not live in vain.

Hundreds of Busselton locals gathered at the Busselton Foreshore Amphitheatre in a candlelight vigil for the 15-year-old Noongar Yamatji boy on Wednesday as part of one of many vigils held across Australia.

During the ceremony, attendees paid their respects to Cassius and listened to a statement made by his mother Mechelle Turvey, read by Kurongkurl Katitjin lecturer Renae Isaacs-Guthridge, who called for calm and paid tribute to her son.

“I need to call out for calm,” Turvey’s statement read.

“I am angry, Cassius’s friends and family are angry, [but] I don’t want any form of violence, at any of these rallies in the name of my child. Violence breeds violence, I want calm and peace.

“I don’t want to fuel prejudices, biases. I don’t want to fuel the stereotypes of First Nations people as violent.”

In a powerful Welcome to Country, Wadandi elder Bill Webb said the truth needed to come out in order to “break down the barriers of ignorance and come to some sort of commonality”.

“We all need it for the future so that we can leave a footprint for our future generations,” he said.

Following an invitation for others to say their piece, Jasmin Gentle-Hall said she first met Cassius when he was five-years-old while she worked as an Aboriginal education officer at Moorditj Noongar Community College in Midland.

Overcome with emotion, Ms Gentle-Hall described Cassius as “the most beautiful child you could ever meet in your life”.

“He was kind-hearted, he had the biggest smile,” she said.

“His family is a beacon of what he was, they are beautiful people and he was a beautiful person.

“I just want everyone to walk away from tonight and hold your babies close and love them as much as you can and to remember Cassius and don’t forget him because he was a beautiful child.”

Noongar elder Jenny Oakley made an impassioned speech saying “enough is enough” to racially-fuelled violence.

“It takes a child to die before something is going to be done,” she said.

“I have seen the tragedy of the history that we’ve lived in for the last 200 years and guess what, whether you’re black or white, we’ve had enough.

“I just pray that this young fella’s life will never have been lived in vain and that his life will count because it is such a tragic thing to have happened to such a beautiful child.

“If there’s anybody that’s in your street or in your town that’s struggling whether they’re black or white, for goodness sake, go along and get aside them and help them so we can stop this violence in our community right here.”

Busselton mayor Grant Henley also stepped up to express condolences to Cassius’s family and echoed Ms Oakley’s sentiments.

“We’ve all had enough - whatever colour you are, wherever you live, whatever you do,” he said.

“It’s not good enough, a kid should be able to walk home from school in safety.

“He should be able to go home to his loving family and go on with his life and live to his full potential.

“Every child in our community should.

“We as a community, we as a state, we as a country are better than that.

“I know that we’ll all remember Cassius and that he has touched everyone who has heard the story and listened to the words from his grieving mother.”

The ceremony concluded with a minute’s silence for Cassius and a smoking ceremony, which saw attendees file through to cleanse their bodies and spirits.

Cassius was allegedly bashed with a metal pole while walking home from school with friends on October 13.

He had serious head injuries and died in hospital 10 days later.

Jack Steven James Brearley, 21, has been charged with his murder and is due to face a Perth court on November 9.

Ms Brearley was also charged with aggravated assault occasioning bodily harm and stealing linked to a 13-year-old boy who was with Cassius at the time.

Police allege Mr Brearley struck the second boy with a pole, believed to be a shopping trolley handle, then stole the boy’s walking crutches and cap.