Reflective Response: Analyzing the Pinkenba Case in Cultural Studies

This essay provides a reflective response to the Pinkenba Case, which involved the apprehension and relocation of three Aboriginal boys by police officers. The essay follows the 5R framework (Reporting, Responding, Relating, Reasoning, and Reconstructing) to critically analyze the case. It discusses the events of the case, personal feelings about the police actions, and connections to broader issues of justice and cultural understanding. The author argues that the police officers' actions were unjust and potentially life-threatening and criticizes the magistrate's decision to withdraw criminal charges against the officers. Furthermore, the essay relates the case to personal experiences and suggests the need for better representation and guidelines to prevent similar incidents in the future, emphasizing the challenges faced by Aboriginal people within the justice system due to language barriers and cultural differences.

Running Head: CULTURAL STUDIES 1
Cultural studies
Name
Institution

CULTURAL STUDIES 2
Reporting
Pinkenba case talks of three aboriginal boys aged 12, 13 and 14 who were ordered into a
police car by six officers in Brisbane’s fortitude valley. Each boy was driven in a different police
car and taken to a swampy area in Pinkenba Queensland (Eades, 1995). The police claimed that
the boys had not committed a crime but they took them there to prevent them from committing
one or becoming a public nuisance. After investigations, the criminal justice commissioner
ordered the six officer to face criminal charges but the magistrate withdrew the case claiming
that the three boys had no regard to the justice system.
Responding
I think this was not the best way the police officers should have done to prevent the boys
from committing a crime. Even though those who were aboriginal people they were no titled to
in a way which threatens their lives. As we all know that the work of the police is to ensure
security to the people, but in this case, this police officers did the opposite and should be charged
with deprivation of liberty. To me, this is action was not human and they could have taken the
boys to the cell. Also, the magistrate was not fair in his judgment because these police officers
threatened the lives of the boys.
Relating
From my own reasoning is that if police officers find someone in a place where he or she
is suspected to commit a crime they should take him/her far away or to their station for
interrogation. Relating this case from my own experience, a girl was found by a police during a
patrol near my gate. The girl looked suspicious and the police decided to go with her. They
forced the girl to tell them her intentions or else they will lock her up. So, taking those boys into

CULTURAL STUDIES 3
a swampy area prevented them from creating a public nuisance from the city even though the
police were not aware of their intention.
Reasoning
From this Pinkenba case, I have learned that most countries tend to ignore the rights of
abnormal people who were from different countries. Also, these people face a lot of challenges,
especially when seeking justice. This is because they may not understand well the original
language and end up remaining silence in court and in this case they lose their case. In this case,
the boys did not win the case because they talked aboriginal language apart from which is spoken
in the courts. They ended up remaining silent to questions which required answers.
Reconstructing
From this case, I would suggest that there should be a representative of these aboriginal
people in various sector of the government. These would ensure that they receive quality services
as other people (Ann & John, 2017). This would minimize the chances of discrimination. Also,
there should be proper guidelines on how and where the police officers should take these people
to avoid exposing them to danger. Having these clear guidelines would prevent actions like
which occurred in this case from happening in future.

CULTURAL STUDIES 4
References.
Ann, C & John, D. (2017). Cultural Studies 1983: A Theoretical History. Cultural Studies
Review, 23(2), 10-14
Eades, D. (1995). "Cross Examination of Aboriginal Children - The Pinkenba Case" [1995]
AboriginalLawB 46. Aboriginal Law Bulletin, 113(75), 1-4.