The Wieambilla inquest’s impossible task

This article contains descriptions of violence.

There was one sentence in the Queensland state coroner’s opening remarks to the Wieambilla shooting inquest that jarred.

Terry Ryan, wearing black-rimmed glassed, a blue shirt under a black suit, with short-clipped grey hair, told the packed courtroom that the probe won’t decide whether someone broke the law or if they’re civilly liable for their actions that day. It’s not about assigning blame, he said, with a flat affect, his words quickly swallowed by the carpeted rooms.

Declining to play the blame game is a legal requirement, allowing a frank dissection of what happened in Wieambilla unencumbered by fear of legal repercussions.