We’re well accustomed to following celebrities online and relishing in the small glimpses of their personal and family lives.
Every so often, amongst the candid photos and happy snaps, someone will use their platform to speak out about issues that matter.
Former Home And Away star Bonnie Sveen has never been shy of speaking up and shining a light on these topics, and she’s taken to Instagram to do so again.
As Tasmania approaches its next state election, the actress has asked her followers to consider the issues that matter to them and to the wider community.
“What’s on your mind?” Bonnie posed to her audience.
“My thoughts – The number of Aboriginal people who’ve died in custody since the start of March, rising to SEVEN.”
“The recommendations from the RC into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody need to be implemented immediately. We’ve needed better protection for Aboriginal people for more than 30 years + these steps are beyond overdue.”
Just this week, the number of Aboriginal people to die in custody has risen by two following confirmed deaths in NSW and Victoria.
Bonnie has long been an advocate for equal rights.
(Instagram)The devastating news comes three decades after the Royal Commission into the matter which, based on a study between 1990 and 1995, found that Indigenous Australians were 16.5 times more likely to die in custody.
The commission also made numerous recommendations for reform, which people are calling the government to implement now.
Despite the commission, at least 450 Indigenous people have died in custody since its completion in 1991.
Thousands rallied calling to stop deaths in custody.
(getty)Earlier this month, Australian people took to the streets to march for much-needed change.
Greens Senator and Gunnai Gunditjmara Djab Wurrung woman Lidia Thorpe said Indigenous Australians were “heartbroken” and “cannot bear to go on like this”.
“The answers are clear. They’ve been clear for thirty years,” she said in a statement.
“This is a national crisis, and until every single recommendation from the royal commission is implemented, this will not end.”
